Alpha’s Duty
by KH Blaze
Summary: A wolf shifter new to the Tucson pack finds himself attracted to a mysterious woman he’s forbidden to pursue. Inspired by books written by Renee Rose and Lee Savino. 18
1. Chapter One

_Disclaimer: This work is inspired by the MC shifter romance novels coauthored by Renee Rose and Lee Savino. Krissy, Jase, Malcolm and Mort are characters of my creation. All others named belong to the published authors. As of writing this story, I've only read as far as the first six books in the series, therefore some of the cannon may differ. This is meant as a tribute to their work. I do not profit from this._

_Also, this is designed for a MATURE audience. As in 18. Readers beware._

_Krissy_

I don't know why I agreed to come here.

Eclipse was loud, crowded and dark, like any other nightclub. But there was something else about this club in particular, something…foreboding.

But still, I had squeezed into a less than modest dress, swept up my hair, applied full makeup and taken the Lyft.

Getting in was no effort either, as my squad had left my name with the bouncer standing at the door. Of course they were not yet here to meet me, they were fashionably late.

Now with every step I took towards a seat at the bar, feeling as if every male eye in the room was turning to me, I was rethinking my choices.

I stopped in my tracks, gave my head a shake, took a breath.

_Hoist those big girl panties and stop being paranoid, Krystal Ann. You work hard and deserve a night out. So sit your sweet ass down and order a goddamn drink!_

Giving myself a curt nod, I strode the last few feet to an empty bar stool and took the perch with a hop, swivelling to face the bartender.

Like nearly every employee at Eclipse seemed to be, the bartender was male. He was muscular, but he wasn't quite as tall or wide as most of the others. Covered in tattoos like his coworkers, though I couldn't be certain, I thought that his ink seemed to be covering up a number of scars. He had short, spiky blonde hair and his blue eyes were framed by a frown as they took me in, as if he wasn't quite sure what to make of me.

When he continued to stare, I leaned in and raised my voice over the music to order my drink.

"Honey Jack Daniels and Diet Coke, please. Short glass, lots of ice and a wedge of lemon."

The bartender just lifted a brow, as if he didn't believe that was my real order.

"I got it, Sam." Came a smooth voice.

I shifted my eyes to the source of the voice and stilled at the sight.

How had I missed him when I walked in?!

The man next to Sam was a lot more like the bouncers in the club. I thought, in fact, he perhaps was supposed to be one of the bouncers, as I registered him donning the black SECURITY t-shirt the others wore, it's fabric straining against the mass of muscle. He was at least a foot taller, broader shoulders, full sleeves of ink on both arms. His hair was dark and long, tied back in a loose ponytail at the nape of his neck. His skin was tanned—a natural bronze like he grew up in the sunshine, not some fake orange spray—rich and creamy like caramel.

_Wonder if it would taste like it too?_

I sucked in a sharp breath I had forgotten to take. Naughty, naughty thoughts! The nuns back in Catholic school would have belted me for sure.

He slid the drink I ordered in front of me. I was so busy watching him I hadn't seen him making it.

Did that even make any sense?

I met his eyes, which were a deep brown and currently studying me in an approving fashion.

"Thank you." I offered in a voice that didn't quite feel like my own. I fumbled to squeeze and stir the juice of the lemon into my drink before picking it up to take a generous sip. I could not seem to break eye contact.

I felt a flutter deep in my belly and had to remember to take a breath again. I registered him leaning over the counter towards me and I leaned closer as well.

Then his nostrils twitched and he straightened up. His look of approval shifted to something like scrutiny.

I blinked, the spell broken.

_What in the hell just happened? Shit, did I forget deodorant or something?_

I took another gulp of my drink, turning to search the club for the two women I was supposed to meet, while trying to discreetly get a whiff of my armpit. Nope, I was all good there. Breath check. Well behind the whiskey I'd just inhaled I was fine. Again I wondered what the hell? I could still feel his gaze burning a hole in my cheek, but I tried to ignore him and the flush I felt creeping up my neck towards my face.

Remy and Tayla were two thirds of a dance trio that packed this club to the limits on Saturday nights with their go-go style routines. Lately, the final third, Angelina, was busy with either her new dance studio, or her ever evolving stage shows. And most of her free time was spent with her new fiancé, Jared, who was apparently another bouncer here. The other girls were fully involved with the studio and shows, but they were single. In the last few weeks, Tayla and Remy had decided I was the right fit to fill the void when Angelina wasn't available.

All I had done was take a free dance workshop.

I was a veterinarian by profession. Taking care of animals was my passion in life. But I had always enjoyed and appreciated dance as well. The energy and athleticism, the freedom of movement and expression. Growing up the way I had, I didn't get much opportunity to do it. According to the trio, I happened to be a natural at it. Not trying to brag about it, of course, just taking their word for it.

I was fairly new to Tucson and Arizona, and wanted an activity outside of work to socialize. A month ago I found a flyer promoting Angelina's dance studio, offering a free workshop for Jazz style dancing. When I arrived that day, I met the girls and they took a shining to me. They were just so kind and enthusiastic, I couldn't resist agreeing to sign up for a regular class. And then agreeing again this afternoon to coming out for drinks at Eclipse.

They had ambushed me at my clinic on my lunch break, eyelashes batting, Angelina telling me I was doing her a favour because she had to do something with Jared. What choice did I have?

I was now getting impatient. To the point that I had almost forgotten the bizarre interaction with the bartender…except then he spoke.

"Waiting for your mate?"

I whipped my head around, meeting his gaze with a frown crinkling my forehead. "_Mate_? You mean like a boyfriend? No, I don't have a boyfriend." Why was I so quick to tell him that? "I'm meeting Remy and Tayla. You know, the dancers?"

He nodded but my answer didn't seem to satisfy him. "So you're married then."

My frown deepened and my mouth briefly fell open. "What?! No!"

The bartender's expression became a frown to match mine. "You're telling the truth." It was a statement but he sounded surprised.

I gaped at him. "Should I be lying? I don't even know why I would tell you anything to begin with." I could feel my pale skin slowly heat to pink and red. "I don't know why I'm still talking now!"

Confused and flustered, I jumped down from my seat and fled to the ladies room.

_Jase_

_Well I fucked that up._

My wolf under the surface snorted. He was in complete agreement, and annoyed the leggy redhead was running away. He wanted to hurtle over the bar top and chase after her. Wolves loved the chase.

The moment she had stepped through the doors, the eyes of every wolf shifter working zeroed in. It was her scent, I was sure. She smelled of shifter.

But I hadn't the slightest clue of what kind.

To me, her scent was like the four seasons layered together. Like the first snow of winter back in The Rockies of Jasper where I spent my teens, and the summer fruiting orange trees in the groves of California where I was born. Spring rain, drying autumn leaves, it was all there, all at once. And then another scent behind all of that. One that sent the other wolves back to their business, yet I hadn't spotted right away.

She was marked.

It was faint, but it was there.

_Cat shifter_. I thought. Cougar to be specific.

But she had said she wasn't mated, and I could hear the truth to her words in her heartbeat as well.

Was she widowed? My wolf seemed gleeful at the idea. He liked her. Didn't seem to care she was marked.

The green eyes she'd matched her dress to had mesmerized me unlike any female before. Or rather ever.

I was mere months into living in Tucson, not even officially a member of Garrett's pack. I was what one calls "Alpha material", I could easily lead a pack of my own. The drive to lead just wasn't in me though. I had actually made my way down the Rockies and west to Arizona, arriving in Phoenix first, where I asked to join the pack of Garrett's father, Emmett. But he thought it a better fit for me to come to Tucson. Until the last year or so, it had been a pack of bachelors, with the one exception of Garrett's younger sister. Lately it seemed as though many of them were finding their mates. Some of them with humans, no less. Perhaps the elder alpha hoped the same for me, even though it was unlikely he had a human in mind. Humans weren't supposed to know our secret. If one was to find out, their memories of it were meant to be wiped by a vampire.

Garrett had found a way around that law a couple of times now. Perhaps because of his distaste of working with vampires at all. Not that it mattered. I had never found any female, human or shifter, that I was interested in for more than a night.

_She's different._

"She's trouble."

Sam's voice broke my gaze from the last place I'd seen the redhead in the crowd.

"You're paranoid." I retorted. "You think anyone outside the pack is trouble."

Sam bartended at Eclipse, but he wasn't exactly pack any more than I was right now. He was part of a sort of mini pack, settled out by the Catalinas. He only lived with one other wolf and two panthers. And his tiger mate. Oh yeah, and there was a toddler as well. Complicated, sure. Not much more complicated than the fox shifter, psychic and human female that had all mated into Garrett's pack. Nah, that was child's play.

"Paranoid doesn't make me wrong, Jase." Sam continued. "You caught that scent. It's strange, off somehow. Not to mention she's marked."

"Yeah." I didn't want to totally dismiss what Sam was saying. In his troubled youth he's been around a lot of different kinds of shifters. I'd been around a few too. None of them were like her.

I also had to note to myself that she had no visible tattoos on the plethora of skin she was showing, a light dusting of freckles were all that decorated the creamy flesh. Most shifters could be identified by the ink they sported, usually around the arms. Sort of like a family crest.

In the case of Garrett's pack it was a wolf's paw print on the shoulder and the phases of the moon on the knuckles of one hand.

I myself had a howling wolf's silhouette on my shoulder. Just like my father's.

Still, my wolf didn't seem to care. His interest was piqued. Guess that meant so was mine.

My nostrils flared as the redhead's scent grew stronger. She was coming back this way. I scanned the crowded space towards the washrooms and quickly found her. She was waving in the direction of the front doors. Looking myself, I saw the two dancers she had mentioned before. They weren't dressed to perform tonight, at least not to perform the way they usually did. It did look like they were still planning on putting on a show of sorts.

Adding that fact to seeing the redhead joining them at a table by the dance floor and my wolf growled. He didn't like the image of the guys who would surely ogle her.

I shoved the wolf back. I wasn't going to act like a jealous asshole over a complete stranger. Instead I made her a fresh drink and mixed two cosmos for the dancers. Waving Damian over, I set the drinks on a serving tray. When he's in front of me I point out the three women.

"Tell them it's on the house."

Damian looked a little confused. "It's not their show night."

"I know." I look over at the redhead. "Tell the one in the tight green dress it's an apology."

Damian still looked confused but took the tray.

When the drinks reached their table and I saw Damian repeating my words, the girls looked over to me. Remy and Tayla smiled wide and waved at me excitedly. The redhead gave me a half-hearted gesture of a toast, her facial expression indecipherable.

"Can we get back to working now?" Sam asked, aggravated.

_Right. Nightclub. Booze. Merriment._

I did my best to focus on mixing drinks, but the trio was soon on the dance floor, and the redhead was a sight to be seen.

I hadn't noticed the stilettos before. They didn't seem to hinder her movement at all, not even dancing now. Her legs were already stacked, the shoes just accentuated them more. They made her perfect ass stand out too.

This time it wasn't my wolf that responded, it was my dick.

Right there I should have forced myself to look away. Something told me that's just what she didn't want.

As she moved with the song, she twirled and the pieces of her hair that had freedom to move flicked as if they were actually flames on her head.

_Was that a warning that she'll burn me?_

I didn't care.


	2. Chapter Two

_Krissy_

I couldn't help risking a glance at the bar while I danced my stress away. I wasn't sure without outright looking but I thought the hulking bartender—I now know his name is Jase—was watching me.

When I had asked Remy his name, she added that he was new to Tucson as 6well. Hadn't been in town much longer than myself.

"He's single too." Tayla piped in.

I brushed the comment off with an eye-roll, like I didn't care, but quickly started to feel flushed. I didn't eat much today so that second Jack and Coke must be taking its toll.

_Sure. It has nothing to do with the fact that Jase was about ten seconds away from flirting with you before and you haven't even been on a coffee date in four years. You're practically praying that he's watching you right now. The way you're dancing you might as well be in his lap!_

I needed to hit the brakes immediately! I may have been aiming for Jase's attention, but I was starting to gather it from every guy within three feet of us!

Thankfully the song ended, giving me an excuse to stop.

"I need some fresh air." I told the girls and headed for the patio door, not bothering to ask them to join me. I never did understand why girls in a nightclub needed to strut around, joined at the hip the whole night.

There was a cooling breeze tonight, just my luck. It was a relief at first but within a few minutes I was hugging myself. I was no stick model but in this dress that left my arms, shoulders and most of my legs bare, I noticed the chill.

Too bad I hadn't noticed one of the leering guys from the dance floor had followed me outside.

_Oh. Right. That's why girls stick together._

"Yer one sexy ginger on that dance floor." He slurred, clearly inebriated. "I don't 'member seeing ya up on those boxes with those other girls before."

"Oh I'm not part of that dance show. I'm just out for a girl's night." I prayed he got the hint.

To deaf ears I guess.

He wavered closer to me, and I could tell his poison of choice was beer. Too much of it.

"Ya move like ya should be. Ye'd be even hotter in those go-go boots." He leaned into me and it didn't matter to him that I leaned away. "Hotter still on the stripper pole I got set up back at my place."

I felt my last drink roil in my stomach.

"No thanks." I said firmly and stepped away from him.

He snorted a laugh. "Awe, come on! Dance with me!" He stepped closer to me and again I stepped back.

"She said no, douche." A warning voice called from the shadowed corner.

When the voice stepped forward I found I was disappointed that it wasn't Jase. It was a familiar and welcome face, however.

Trey Robson. Bouncer and Jared's best friend. I had been introduced to him the same day Angelina introduced me to Jared.

"Time to call it a night, buddy." He added to the drunk.

If the tone of his words didn't sway the creep's direction, Trey's size and overall look should have. Inked and muscular like the rest of his coworkers, buzz shaved hair, and as an added incentive, piercings galore.

Douche's focus slowly took him in and after a few slow beats he did the smart thing and headed back inside. Trey nodded to another bouncer I didn't know and he followed Douche, presumably to make sure he in fact left the club.

Trey turned his focus on me and offered a wry smile. "You good?"

I nodded and smiled back. "Yeah, but I think I need to take the hint and call it a night."

"You driving?"

I shook my head. "No I took a Lyft here, I'll call another."

Trey nodded and left me to it.

_Jase_

I felt useless as I spotted that drunk being escorted out of the club. I was trapped behind the bar, unable to find out what happened. The redhead didn't reenter from the patio and again I had the urge to leap across the bar top. Worse still, the dancers didn't seem at all concerned that their friend had yet to return. They simply continued to dance with each other.

_Some girl's night._

My wolf's fur bristled.

The patio door opened again. The redhead didn't come in or into view, but I did spot Trey standing out there. Although I wasn't thrilled at the thought of him with her I knew he wouldn't let anymore trouble stir up.

_He's also probably smart enough to stay away from a marked female. Not like me._

After a minute that felt like twenty passed, she reappeared and made her way back to her friends. She talked to them for a second, hugged them and started for the front door. Her friends seemed disappointed.

_Leaving already?_

She couldn't. At least not until I had the chance to talk to her again.

"Going on break." I said to Sam and shuffled around him towards the front door without waiting for an answer.

"A break from what?" I heard him mutter under his breath.

_Krissy_

"Leaving so soon?"

A shiver went through me as I recognized Jase's voice behind me. I'd already made it out the front door and he'd followed.

Reining in the smile that had sprouted on my lips I held a blank expression on my face as I turned to face him.

"I never got the chance to apologize." He continued.

I gave him a puzzled look. "First of all, I don't know exactly what you're apologizing for. Second of all, I thought the free drink was the apology."

A smile quirked his kissable lips.

_Stop that Krissy!_

"Technically it was two free drinks." He corrected. "You never did pay for that first one."

I flushed but kept my voice a drawl. "So that's why you're really out here? Chasing me down for an outstanding tab?"

"Well now that you came outside the premises, I don't think money will cut it anymore. I think I have to have you work it off somehow."

I lifted an eyebrow. "Really? Like what? You saw me dance." My tone was only slightly accusatory. "Should I cover one of the girls next Saturday night?"

I could have sworn I heard him growl at that.

After a second he shook his head. "No. I think I can come up with something better."

"Like a punishment?"

_Girl, what in the hell do you think you are doing?! This is the worst direction for flirting you've ever stumbled into!_

Was this my early Catholic upbringing rearing its ugly head, only to reveal its neck was twisted?

I didn't know why the word punishment came to mind, but I inwardly panicked when it looked like it was exactly what he wanted to hear.

Heat flared in his gaze and quickly filtered down to my core.

_Get out! Get out now! This is so not going to happen tonight!_

"Krissy?"

We both turned to the new voice and to say I was glad for the disruption was putting it mildly. I could see Jase try to discreetly adjust his jeans from the corner of my eye.

It was Angelina whom had called my name, she was walking up to us with Jared.

"Are you leaving?" She asked, sounding let down.

"Yeah. I just really wasn't feeling well. But it's good you showed. Makes me feel less guilty for ditching Remy and Tayla. Hey Jared."

"You driving yourself, Doc?" Jared's eyes narrowed slightly at me.

All these butch guys, so concerned for a lady's well-being.

I shook my head no. "Not in my old truck."

"Doc?" Jase repeated.

"Oh." Angelina's face lit up. "Have you two not met?"

Jase managed to look sheepish. "I guess we forgot the formal introductions."

Angelina smiled wider. "In that case, Jason Knight, this is Dr. Krystal Ann Scott."

Jase offered me his large hand. When I took it, sparks of electricity fired my every nerve ending. A gust of wind rushed past at that moment and it oddly felt like coarse fur brushed up against my bare legs. I prayed no one could see through the fabric of my dress, because my nipples had pebbled.

I pulled my hand back, the motion a little jerky. "Krissy." I blurted. "I prefer just Krissy, not Krystal Ann. Krystal Ann just reminds me of Sister Mary Margaret's lectures."

"Jase." He offered, seeming to ignore my tension. "Doctor of what?"

"I'm a veterinarian." I replied. I didn't mean for my tone to suggest I was ashamed.

"Isn't veterinary school harder to get into than med school?" He queried.

A smile reached my lips. _Oh he's good. _"A little." I answered coyly.

"What's wrong with your truck?" Jared asked, breaking my gaze from Jase before I could get dopey again.

"Not much really, besides age. It mostly needs a good tune up. I just haven't made the time."

"I work at the motorcycle shop our—" Jase stopped like he was about to say one thing, thought better of it and changed course. "A lot of the guys here use it. In fact, Tank owns it." Jase jutted his chin behind him at the bouncer that had granted me entrance earlier. "I know my way around pretty much anything with an engine. Bring your truck by in the morning and I'll give it a good going over."

While I mulled it over my phone beeped from inside my clutch. I fished the phone out, though I knew what the message would say: my Lyft was arriving at last.

Ultimately liking the idea of seeing Jase again so soon, I agreed.

He told me the address of the bike shop and I typed it into my Google Maps just as the Lyft car pulled up in front of me.

"Feel better!" Angelina offered cheerily as she blew me a kiss and looped her arm through Jared's. They entered the club and Jase moved around me to open my door for me.

I stifled a giggle.

_His last name is Knight._

Once he saw I was buckled in, he closed my door. I rolled down my window.

"Thanks. So… I will see you tomorrow." I drawled out slowly.

His smile was…wolfish? "Looking forward to it."

I couldn't resist watching him until the car turned out of view.

He watched me back.

_Jase_

"You sense it too, right?" Jared asked me in a hushed tone once we were back in the club. "I mean, Trey and I aren't just crazy, right? You and the others noticed it too? There's something…off."

I simply grunted in response.

"What's her deal?" Jared's voice held the faintest sign of concern.

"I don't know."

_But I'm damned sure going to find out._

Even now, I wasn't sure I cared what that deal would be. Marked or not, shifter or not, my wolf rumbled exactly what I felt singing in my veins.

_Mine._


	3. Chapter Three

_Krissy_

My dreams that night were of a knight in black armour.

_I was in the middle of the Arizona desert. It was night, but my surroundings were lit by a huge full moon. Though he was in full armour, helmet and all, I wasn't part of the costume party. My clothes were regular street fare. Mounted on a black stallion, the knight strode towards me, saguaro cacti seeming to line his path. As he closed the distance he never slowed, I had to jump sideways to avoid being trampled. The knight turned his steed around and came towards me again, this time, leaning off the side of his saddle and using one arm around my waist, he lifted me off the ground like I weighed next to nothing. He nestled me straddled over the horse in front of him, leaving me entrapped between his arms as he held the reins._

_And we rode. Hard and fast._

_Time and space bleeding together as they often did in dreams, One minute the horse was there, the next it was gone. I was still in the desert at night but now the arms encasing me were no longer covered in armour. Just tattoo sleeves._

_The now bare hands squeezed my hips and travelled upwards, slipping under my shirt as they moved to cup and massage my breasts. I arched back into the warm solid chest behind me, tilting and craning my head to look up at the knight's face._

_Jase's face._

_Only his eyes were wrong. The irises were glowing this unfamiliar yellow-green colour. But he was smiling at me and I didn't feel afraid. It was only a dream, odd things were bound to happen._

_It was hard to be afraid with his hands on me in this manner. _

_He turned me around to get a better angle to kiss me in. His mouth seemed hungry for mine, looking for access to the inside. When I obliged him, his tongue explored, massaging my own. His hands migrated back down to the front of my jeans. Jase's fingers began to press the seam of my jeans into my welcoming mons, the heel of his palm ground over my clit. I moaned into his mouth—_

The sound of my own need startled me awake. I fought to hold onto the sensations of the dream even as I tried to discern where I really was.

When a muscle in my arm flexed, I realized my own hand was between my thighs. My lady bits were wet and ready and my knight was nowhere to be found.

I released a frustrated huff of air.

The morning sun bathed my bedroom in light. I untangled myself from the bedsheets and started to feel cheerful again as I remembered I would see my Black Knight shortly. Doubtful the scenario would be the same, but I wasn't under any allusions that it ever would be.

_Okay…maybe just a piece of it._

But just for good measure, I thought an extra long shower was in order. No need for the thrum between my thighs to go to waste.

_Jase_

I could hear the truck before I saw it. I knew it was Krissy before the truck even turned onto the street. Didn't have to look Tank's way to know he sensed her too. The growl rumbling deep in his chest was plenty indication. I wouldn't call Tank paranoid, like I would Sam. Tank was just a bit of a tight-ass. Followed pack order to the letter. I suppose that's what made him a good beta. It also made it all the funnier that a wild child like Foxfire was his mate. Tank must have mentioned the mystery that was Krissy to her, because the fox shifter had talked her way into loitering around the shop to get a peek. Something about being able to work from anywhere, though I'd yet to see even one keystroke reach her laptop. My focus was on the approaching truck, but from my peripheral vision I saw her curls of blue and purple hair dancing around her head as she scrambled to get a better view from behind me.

"I don't know why all of you boys are freaking out, she smells amazing!" Foxfire declared. "I mean I've never swung that way…" She stopped her musing when I gave her a bewildered look. "What?" Her eyes rallied between myself and Tank as we remained silent. "_What?!"_

Krissy honked her horn as she turned into the drive in front of the shop. I left Foxfire to wonder and waved at Krissy, walking around to the driver's side as she parked and killed the engine.

She had a wide smile for me as I opened her door for her and offered a hand to help her down from the cab. "Good morning."

She seemed quite chipper, her smile briefly growing wider as she glanced at my outstretched hand.

She didn't take it, jumping out with ease.

"Good morning yourself."

I took in the sight of her. Quite the change from last night. She traded in her stilettos for Converse sneakers, opted for relaxed fit jeans and a faded purple t-shirt instead of the curve-hugging dress. She wore little to no makeup. Her hair was still tied up, but this morning it was in a more severe bun, like she was aiming to appear more professional.

She was eyeing my grease-stained coveralls thoughtfully, as if she couldn't decide whether she disapproved or not. Or maybe she was mentally undressing me.

The scent of excitement enters my nose at the same moment Krissy looks up to see me watching her. She's quick to look away and blushes, which tells me this little vixen has done exactly that.

My wolf doesn't like her discomfort so I pretend I didn't notice anything and just get down to business.

"Shouldn't take me more than an hour to check everything out. Any more than that just depends on what I find."

Krissy nodded, letting out a breath she'd been holding. "The old-timer I bought it from seems to have taken good care of it. It's me that's been neglecting it. Take all the time you need. I trust you."

That last sentence made my wolf stand at attention. Since last night, the wolf was restless, near pacing. I was at war with my desire for Krissy and my fear of the unknowns.

Looking into her eyes now, I wanted to just say Fuck it and taste her.

She held the truck keys out to me and when my fingers grazed over hers every nerve ending in my body flared. My cock went hard. The wolf prepared to pounce.

_Not. Now._

Fates, I wished I at least had a forthcoming full moon to blame, but it was over two weeks away.

"Umm…" Krissy was hugging herself.

Shit!

In trying to quiet my beast, my eyes had drifted, now directed at her breasts. I must've looked as though I was leering like a perv.

"I need to call a Lyft to get me to my clinic. They're sure getting their star ratings from me this week."

Words escaped me as I couldn't decide if I needed to apologize for staring or laugh at her lame joke.

"I could drive you." Foxfire chimed in, because of course she'd been eavesdropping the whole time. "Save you the cash and wait time."

She sauntered over and offered her hand to Krissy. "Foxfire Hines. Tank over there is my honey bun."

Tank leaned further over the bike he was working on, trying to avoid offering a verbal response.

"Uh…K-Krissy Scott." Krissy got her hand shaken vigorously when she took Foxfire's. She looked back at me, unsure. "I, uh, I can get back here after six when the clinic closes, if that's okay?"

An idea came to me. "Why don't I bring the truck to you?"

"Oh. Sure."

"Great! It all works out!" Foxfire started pulling Krissy towards her car. "Leave the grease monkeys to it. I'll make sure Big Boy Jase knows the way at six."

Foxfire nudged Krissy in front of her and winked back at me. She mouthed "You're welcome." and smiled impishly.

I rolled my eyes at her as they both climbed into the car.

But the fox had in fact pulled my ass out of the fire. I hoped focusing on the truck would lull the wolf to a sense of calm.

_Krissy_

Foxfire was like a whirlwind.

"So you're a vet, right? I design websites. Does your clinic have a website? The right kind of webpage design can really draw in a lot of clientele!"

"I don't—"

"Not that I'm trying to push my business on you. I'm more than happy to take a look and make suggestions for a friend of Jase's."

I turned in my seat to face her, wide eyed. "Was Jase talking about me?"

Foxfire glanced back at me and chuckled. "Well, not too many of the guys in that club talk all that much. There's mostly growling." She went silent. When my eyes bulged she went on. "He just mentioned what you did and that he heard you were new to Tucson."

I relaxed my freckled face and nodded. "Yeah. I moved down from Colorado."

"Did you live around the mountains?"

I shrugged. "Denver."

"What brought you to Tucson? Got any family here?"

I shook my head. "No family. Just needed a change."

"Did something happen?"

I blinked at her duo-coloured head. Was she pumping me for information?

The whirlwind continued when I didn't reply.

"What's it like being a veterinarian? What was it that drew you to it? You must really like animals, right? I bet if it was about money you would have just been a plastic surgeon or something."

That choked out a laugh from me. "Truthfully I don't even charge what I should be half the time. I care more about the critters staying alive than making a living."

Foxfire smiled kindly.

I went still when an idea popped into my head. "Speaking of helping critters and designing websites, there was something I've been working on at the clinic that you could help me with."

Foxfire practically starting dancing behind the wheel. "Yeah?"

I went on to tell her about an adoption fair I was trying to organize for a no-kill shelter operating in the outskirts of the city. They were overwhelmed by the number of intakes and could use a boost in advocacy and donations and funds. I figured Foxfire might have some ideas for promotion.

She squealed with delight at the idea and insisted on getting started immediately.

We arrived at my clinic and after introducing Foxfire to my flabbergasted veterinary assistant, I rushed her into my office, setting a chair opposite mine at my ridiculously oversized desk for her.

Foxfire did a double take at the dimensions of my desk in proportion to the rest of my office. I couldn't argue the reaction, I got it a lot. It was solid from top to bottom and tall enough to hide a Saint Bernard behind! If I had been a man I supposed many would think I was compensating, but really I liked it because I was able to have a miniature refrigerator built into one side. In it I kept test samples and a few specialized medications that needed to be stored cold.

Once I explained it to Foxfire, she had her laptop open and her fingers flying over both the keys and touch screen within seconds.

By lunchtime Foxfire felt she had everything she needed to finish up on her own. She also mentioned getting back to the bike shop before Tank came looking for her. I said it sounded kind of possessive. Foxfire laughed and said it was just his nature. Whatever that meant.

We said our goodbyes, with Foxfire promising to make sure Jase was here at six on the dot.

_Jase_

"She's either really clever or really guarded." Foxfire declared when she returned to the shop, arms full of take-out bags.

Tank and I watched her approach from inside the open garage, where we sat on our shop stools between a motorcycle and the doc's truck.

She tossed one of the bags to me before setting all but one of the rest down and plopping herself onto Tank's empty lap. He was giving her a disapproving look, probably in annoyance over her absence all morning, but she was ignoring it and it quickly melted away once she handed him one of the Carne Asada tacos from her paper bag.

I admired the contents of my bag. "Did you get her to open up at all?"

"Mmm. Some." She replied around a mouthful, finishing her first taco before continuing. "I think she could tell I was fishing."

Foxfire had a talent for…well let's say annoying the crap out of someone, in such a way that she could get them to do or say whatever she wanted. It proved useful to the pack on occasion.

"What did you find out?" Tank prodded after inhaling his third taco.

Reaching for another paper bag and handing it directly to Tank, Foxfire started counting off her fingers, listing the bullet-points. "She grew up Catholic. Moved here from Denver. She's the Florence Nightingale of animals. Likes Pina Coladas, getting caught in the rain. Has a serious Jonesing for Jase…"

I nearly choked on my lunch. "She flat-out told you that?"

Foxfire balked. "Okay she didn't actually use those words per say…"

"So which words _did_ she actually use?"

Her colourful curls wilted as she caved. "Alright so she never said she wants you _out_ _loud_, but I could tell she does! You had to have noticed too."

I stuffed another taco in my mouth to avoid speaking.

"You got nothing about who marked her? Any indication what kind of shifter she is? If she even is in fact shifter?" Tank held his mate in place with his urgent query. She just let out an exasperated sigh, following my lead by scarfing down her next taco.

The collective frustration hung in the air as we finished lunch in silence. Attempting to return my focus to my job and failing, many thoughts clanked around in my mind, all of them had one common theme.

Dr. Krissy Scott.

We had a hacker friend of the pack who could surely dig up things about Krissy. It was the smart play and it wasn't the way I wanted to go. I wanted to talk to her myself, get her to trust me and open up. How would I manage that? It wasn't junior high school, no fucking way we were braiding each others hair and pinkie swearing to keep each others secrets. Take her out on a date? With my wolf clawing the walls I wasn't sure I could keep myself from claiming her in a romantic setting, even in public. Vexed as I was, the slightest mention of the good doctor was making my cock press painfully against my jeans.

"Jase."

Tank's voice was a snarling growl.

For a split second I assumed he'd read my thoughts and he was warning me to cool it.

I straightened my spine and rotated on my stool to look in his direction.

He was standing protectively in front of Foxfire and glaring out into the parking lot. She stood perfectly frozen. He growled again from deep in his chest.

It was a warning, just not directed at my train of thought.

Two strange men were sauntering up towards us. I scented the air and understood. I had been too lost in my thoughts of Krissy when I should have noticed it far sooner.

Shifters.

One of them had Tank and I beat in size by about three inches and fifty pounds. His head was shaved bald and his naked arms revealed his animal to any who wouldn't immediately recognize the scent. The image of a ferocious grizzly bear battle, one squaring off against the other from each arm, was tattooed prominently. His face was a blank slate, eyes focused but unfeeling.

The second shifter was eclipsed by the grizzly. Though his frame had definition to the muscle, I knew if it came down to a one on one fight, even with shifter strength I could take him out easily. He had so many piercings in his face and ears, he made Trey's metal seem conservative. Like his friend, he wore a shirt that left his arms bare. I was unfamiliar with his animal, so when I got a good look at his ink I was a little surprised.

_Hyena?_

My growls joined Tank's chorus, my shoulders hunched. The hairs on both my and my wolf's neck stood on end. Trouble.

The shifters stopped a couple of yards away from us and the hyena lifted his palms in a gesture of surrender, trying to seem non-threatening.

I didn't like the look in the hyena's eyes. There was something manic there, like he had a screw or two loose.

I let every unused piece of alpha energy I had out into my posture and glare, letting them know they were in deep shit if they tried anything.

"Sorry to drop in on you folks like this. We're new to town. Just trying to find our way around. I'm Malcolm, that's Mort. We heard through the grapevine that the shifter fights from San Diego migrated here and we're looking for a piece of the action."

The hyena wasn't misinformed. An underground shifter fight club had made its way to Tucson from San Diego awhile back. Even after a sketchy fed had the warehouse raided. Sketchy because it looked like he was connected to The Harvester, an evil sonofabitch that was abducting, breeding and experimenting on all kinds of shifters. The Tucson wolves were all too well acquainted with his activities. Sam—who'd been one of the experiments—had almost single-handedly shut down a couple of the compounds connected to The Harvester, Garrett's own sister, Sedona, had been kidnapped by traffickers. Not to mention Foxfire's father died as a prisoner.

Garrett decided in an effort to flush out the fed, Dune, that the fights would continue. With the two men standing before us now, I was inwardly cursing him for the decision. Alarm bells incessantly rang in my head, my wolf's hackles remained up. Malcolm's query of the fights was total bullshit, my wolf was certain.

"Sorry, Malcolm." I gritted through a clenched jaw. "We're not the wolves you're looking for."

"No?" That bit of crazy flared in Malcolm's eyes as he glanced back at his bulky friend, Mort. "Pity. We were hoping to make some new friends."

When Malcolm scanned over Foxfire, Tank took a threatening step forward, eyes turning wolf.

I stepped in front of Tank. I shouldn't have done it, because technically I was rankless here, but I was still fanning my alpha flame to intimidate the newcomers. They didn't know I wasn't the actual alpha of the pack.

"What I mean is, neither of us handle the details. You'll want to find a shifter named Parker." I held eye contact with Malcolm. There was no backing down now. If I faltered: major clusterfuck.

Ten seconds passed. Thirty. Sixty.

Malcolm blinked first. His laugh was truly a hyena's as he stepped back and clapped Mort on the shoulder. The bear didn't even crack a smile.

I held my ground.

"Alrighty then." Malcolm lamented. "Perhaps I'll see you at a fight sometime?"

"You'd better hope not." I warned.

Malcolm 's eyes flared yellow briefly but he cackled again and turned his back, leaving the way they'd come, Mort tailing behind.

Still laughing, Malcolm waved back at the three of us until the pair was out of sight.

Only when they were also out of scent range did I let myself relax and turn back to Tank and Foxfire.

All the spritely energy Foxfire usually had was drained from her body. She had Tank's arm in an iron grip.

"Foxfire. You okay?"

My voice jarred her. She nodded her head, the motion too sharp.

Tank was still motionless and tossing eye daggers in the direction the shifters had vanished. Her jerky movements seemed to snap him out of it.

"I'm getting you home."

She nodded again, this time her movement more controlled. Remembering something, she extracted herself from Tank long enough to write something on a piece of paper and hand it to me. The address of Krissy's clinic.

"Six sharp." She warned me as Tank guided her away.

_Krissy_

The remainder of my day was fairly uneventful. Mostly vaccinations and check-ups. These were the kinds of visits I had no trouble billing my clients for. It was the emergencies and the unexpected that gave me a hard time. The times I knew in my gut something was wrong, but no one else saw.

An animal might come to the clinic seemingly in perfect health. But once I got my hands on them I sensed a problem. So I would get tests done that at the time seemed unnecessary, only to later prove life-saving.

I didn't know where it came from and I kept myself from questioning it.

What mattered was that it saved little furry lives and made people happy as a result.

I checked the clock for the hundredth time today. It was nearly six at last. I excused my assistant for the day, asking her to close all the blinds in the front door and windows before she went. I wanted to be the one who greeted Jase at the front desk when he returned my truck keys.

_You want to be alone with him, you mean._

Damn straight.

_Jase_

Half the street and the small parking area out front of the veterinary clinic were empty. After parking I climbed out of the truck and walked to the tailgate. I'd put my motorcycle in the truck bed to ride home on. Dropping the tailgate I scanned my surroundings for prying eyes. Satisfied the coast was clear, I used my superhuman strength to lift the bike off the truck and set it down in the next parking space.

I jangled the truck keys idly as I sauntered into the clinic.

The doctor was in. Krissy stood up behind a cluttered reception desk, smiling at me just the same as first thing this morning. I wondered if she even realized she was doing it.

"Are you always this punctual? Or are you just trying to make a good impression?"

I grinned at her. "Can't it be both?" I tossed her the keys, witnessing her hand fly up and snatch them from mid-air with ease. She had good reflexes. Watching her face, again I wasn't sure she was totally aware of what she was doing. She started to jangle the keys, just as I had been doing a moment before, as she came around from behind the desk. A white lab coat was hiding her lovely shape, to my dismay.

"Was there any trouble?"

I halted briefly when I thought she was referring to the shifters back at the shop. "No, you were right about the previous owner. He kept that truck in great shape. You just need to do a better job of maintaining it in the future." I chided her teasingly.

She smirked back at me. "Yes, sir. What do I owe you for it?"

I mulled it over, stepping closer to her. "It's on me this time."

An eyebrow lifted at me skeptically as she took two steps closer to me. "Really? Are you apologizing for something again?"

As I laughed and shook my head, she stopped directly in front of me. She had to tilt her head back a little to look me in the eye.

"What if I said, what I want is your word you'll come to me for all your mechanical needs from now on?" I tucked a stray piece of Krissy's hair back behind her ear and trailed my fingers down her neck. She shivered under my gentle touch as my hand came to rest back at her nape.

She looked up at me through her lashes, taking a mildly laboured breath. "Would it be okay if there were other things I came exclusively to you for?"

I languidly rubbed my thumb in a circular motion against her pulse. Her heart was racing, her eyes repeatedly darted between my eyes and my lips.

_The flags she's waving here are as green as her eyes._

"Sweetness, I'm wishing every moment you'll come to me for _everything_."

I couldn't dance around it anymore.

Holding her head immobile in my grasp, I swooped my head down to capture her mouth with mine, but was quick to wrap an arm around her waist and lift her for better access. Krissy was dazed at first, tension flexed her neck under my hand. A few beats and I felt her open up to me. Her arms came up to wrap around my neck, tugging me closer. Lips parted farther, inviting me to explore the inside of her mouth with my tongue. She drew her hands up to tunnel her fingers through my hair, fisting large clumps aggressively. We felt both of our arousals in spite of our clothing, as she pressed her breasts with hardened tips against my chest and my package extended further against her flat belly. Our tongues twined together and then she retreated slightly so she could suck on my bottom lip before pulling away to gulp in a breath.

Her eyes were closed as she released her grip on my hair and I set her gently back on her feet, a drunken smile playing at the corners of her swollen lips.

My wolf preened with satisfaction. It was a start anyhow.

"That was—" Krissy opened her eyes and her expression of bliss was sharply replaced by one of utter shock. She gasped and shoved away from me.

"Y-you're eyes! They're _yellow_!"

_FUCK!_

I snapped my eyelids shut, jerking my head sideways. My wolf was beginning to surface.

"I'm sorry! It's okay, don't freak out, please! It's fine!" As I stammer foolishly, I'm not sure who I'm trying to reassure, her or myself.

"Jase?"

Her voice is so strained, so unsure. I don't dare look at her, for fear my eyes haven't changed back yet.

"I'm sorry." I repeat hollowly.

A surge of anger towards myself rips through me and I'd rather die than let Krissy see it. I bolt out the front door, peeling away on my motorcycle from the clinic and the beautiful doctor as fast as the engine allows.


	4. Chapter Four

_Krissy_

Jase left me shaking. Both from his mind-blowing kiss…and the other thing.

_It was like my dream. Kind of._

I mean, no desert, no horse, no armour. Definitely no ditching me like an asshole. I could have done without any of that.

I had to lean against the front desk to keep from falling to my knees. Too bad it didn't keep the sting of hot tears from burning the corners of my eyes.

I had been shocked, sure. But just like the dream I wasn't afraid. Guess he didn't know that, not that he gave me a chance to say as much.

I dabbed at my temples, willing the tears not to shed.

Christ, I could still taste him in my mouth, still felt the warmth of his hands. It was fireworks every single time that he touched me. And kissing him? It was like being blown apart and put back together in the same moment.

Now he was gone and I was terrified that I would never feel that sensation again. After kissing Jason Knight only once, I felt as though I was ruined for all other men.

What a helluva thing to have screaming in my brain for the drive home.

_Jase_

Krissy's scent was seared into my nostrils, her horrified face burned into my retinas. Yet my wolf whined, as if in pain. Everything inside me screamed to turn around, go back to her. Riding on my bike wasn't going to cut it. I needed to shift.

A small stroke of fortune for me that the clinic was in the Sabino neighbourhood, near the foothills. I made the turn onto a road that would lead me up further into the Catalinas.

Off the beaten paths and into the brush, I parked my bike and stripped off my clothing. I was already running as I shifted into my wolf form.

When I ran with Garrett's pack last full moon, it was clear that I was an outsider. While the other wolves were either silvery grey, white or black, my fur was prominently reddish brown, like clay. Not as bold a shade as Foxfire's fox, but if you only saw me in a blur, you might mistake me for a giant fox.

I tore up the earth as I flew through the woods at top speed, my mind still buzzing with Krissy's image in high definition.

I flushed a rabbit, chasing it to its warren, but I didn't have the drive to kill, it would do little to curb my frustration.

Perhaps I was better off remaining in the woods a wolf. Allow myself to succumb to moon madness and wait for Garrett's pack to seek me out and put me down. Death seemed better than living without Krissy, which I knew I had to.

Lost in my self pity, I had weaved my way back to paved road, the highway.

The SUV mowed me down before I knew what it was.

Two sharp pains as both righthand tires plow over me, cracking ribs. It takes more than that to kill a shifter, a lot more. We heal very quickly, but that didn't mean we didn't feel the same amount of pain. I felt the hot trickle of blood down my muzzle, the scruff of my neck, my legs. I fought to gain my footing to remove myself from the road—

The SUV had reversed and hit me again.

It was actively trying to kill me.

Again I fought to stand but this time my back right leg was broken, I wobbled as I tried to gain balance on the other three.

The SUV surged forward again to hit me a third time, this time sending me flying through the air so many feet away to land in a shattered heap.

I could hear the SUV stop and I was blinded by high-beams. The engine cut and two doors opened and slammed shut.

The wind shifted and I knew who it was just before I heard the voice.

"Fuck Mort! He wants this one alive! Not to mention his dangly bits in working order! Strong alpha DNA is a hot commodity."

_Malcolm_.

In spite of my searing pain, I growled deep.

"Need him unconscious." Was Mort's matter-of-fact reply.

"That's what the tranquilizer was for, jackass!"

"Can still use it."

I heard feet shuffling away from me, like they were moving to the back of the SUV to get something.

_Tranq gun._

There was no way I was letting them take me without a fight. One last time I struggled to stand…and failed. Then in the light of the high-beams, I took in my surroundings and noticed I was a foot from a ledge. Tucson sprawled out mere miles below me. Risking a fall was a better option at this moment. I gathered up the last of my strength, dug in my claws to crawl towards the edge as I heard the slamming close of the vehicle hatch.

With a thrill of manic glee I heard Malcolm curse before I felt the sting of a tranquilizer dart in my shoulder. They were too late, I was already falling. Everything went black.

_Krissy_

A loud thud echoed in the cab of my truck at the same time something heavy rocked it in its frame.

I shrieked at the surprise, thinking from the force of it that I had been hit by another vehicle.

I slammed on my breaks and looked out frantically.

I was alone on the road.

Confused, I put the truck in park, climbed out and started to look around. I saw nothing until I glanced into the bed of my truck and saw a dark shape where there should have been nothing.

It was a wolf. A very large and severely battered wolf.

My hand flew to my mouth as I gasped. Was it dead?! I inched to the side of my truck and peered over, focusing on its massive, blood and dirt matted chest.

_No. Not dead. Still breathing._

But maybe not for long if I didn't help it.

But how had it gotten into my truck?

I turned around and my eyes slowly traveled upward. There was a cliff…and headlights shining around two dark silhouettes.

I froze on the spot.

I wasn't sure if they could see me, but I wasn't going to stick around to find out. Anyone who could toss a wolf like that over a cliff wasn't someone I wanted to meet. I scuttled back behind the wheel and burned rubber, getting halfway home before slowing to the speed limit. Maybe it was the handful of pets kennelled there, but for some reason I didn't want to take the wolf back to my clinic. I wanted it in the safety of my home.

_Might not be safe much longer if you do this._

Foolish as I was, I was willing to take that risk.


	5. Chapter Five

_Krissy_

I pulled into my attached garage, shutting off the engine as the garage door slid down into place, trapping me in with the wolf.

Exiting the relative safety of the cab, I made my movements as quick, quiet and purposeful as I could, for fear that it might rouse the beast before I had a chance to examine its injuries. I kept a small kit of medical supplies for emergencies stashed on one of the shelves. I grabbed it, walked around to drop the tailgate…and hesitated. That was one big-ass wolf, one that was undoubtedly in a lot of pain. If I climbed up next to it and started poking and prodding, it could end up the last thing I ever do.

_I've gone this far._

Taking an even, calming breath, I dropped the tailgate and lugged myself over to the lupine's side. It was still breathing, more evenly now. I managed to keep my hand steady as I reached out to stroke its ruddy fur. It felt softer than I would have guessed. Upon closer observation, the cuts in the wolf's skin were scabbed over as if they were a day old instead of less than an hour. Had it been prey to repeated abuse? Trapped perhaps? But why then was I not finding a single injury that looked fresh? After a fall like that, some of these older wounds would surely have reopened, at the very least.

The wolf whined and I held my breath. My hand froze where it rested on the wolf's flank.

That's when it kicked in, the mojo I had with all my pet clients.

It was more intense than it had ever been before. It wasn't just a general sense that something was wrong, I could physically feel through my touch what the wolf's injuries were. Cuts and bruises (obviously), three cracked ribs, a minor skull fracture and the worst of it was he—yeah, I could tell it was male now—he had a broken right femur. Snapped in half like a pencil. He was very lucky he didn't have a spinal injury.

Stranger than my boost in perception, I could tell wolfie was already healing at an impossible rate. That posed a problem. His broken leg was out of alignment, if it wasn't set right it wouldn't heal properly and at this rate I didn't have much time to act.

Wolfie whined again. Shit, he was starting to wake up.

I dug into my kit and pulled out a syringe and a sedative. I did some quick mental math as I drew some of the liquid through the needle's tip, hoping it would be enough to keep the wolf knocked out for a little longer.

_Sorry big fella, don't need you snapping at me while I save your leg._

Just when I was about to administer the shot, the wolf's eyes popped open and he flipped over. There was a flash of shiny white canines as he snapped his jaws in my direction. I yelped and jerked backwards, dropping the syringe, but I was pinned between the wolf and the wall of the truck bed. I should have known better than to make eye contact with a wild animal, yet I was unable to look away.

The wolf bared his fangs, snarling…and stopped. Something like recognition registered in his eyes. His mouth closed and he moved back. The air around his body shimmered and fur melted away to caramel flesh.

A familiar and very naked man sat in front of me.

_JASE?!_

_Jase_

The scent of the sedative registered in my brain and I remembered Mort and Malcolm. At first I saw only red, ready to fight. But then the wondrous aroma of the four seasons makes its way past my rage and I see Krissy, paralyzed and staring at me.

My wolf retreated, corralled by her fear, I shifted and those brilliant green eyes looked at me with disbelief. She tried to speak, managing nothing more than a few sputtering sounds. The fear appeared to be gone, however confusion remained. As my own pulse slowed, hers remained heightened, her breath still heaved like there was a weight on her chest. It seemed as though she hadn't known I was a shifter, most likely didn't know she'd been amongst a pack in the last twenty-four hours. Guess it was time to enlighten her and figure out where that left us later.

I moved to offer her a reassuring touch but winced when my body rebelled painfully in several places at once.

The physician took over when she saw me recoil, confusion turning first to concern, then determination, on her face. When her hand came up to my shoulder I was thankful she was ignoring my nudity. Her close proximity caused an involuntary lustful reaction.

At least one appendage was in working order.

"Your leg," she fussed.

I covered her hand on my shoulder with mine, shaking my head. "It's fine. I heal really fast."

She shook her head emphatically in return. "No, no, I understand that. I can feel it happening. That's the problem. We need to reset the bone properly. If we don't you could end up with a limp or nerve damage or worse."

I was skeptical. There was also no way I was going to drop the topic of how it was she could _feel_ my injuries healing.

She looked up at me pleadingly. "Please. If I don't set it now we'd have to re-brake it."

I studied her for a couple of heartbeats and then conceded. "What do you need me to do?"

She instructed me to brace myself against the truck so I reached back and gripped the roof of the truck cab as she rearranged herself to sit at my side with her legs stretched in front of her, facing me. Then she slowly wrapped her left arm under my right leg at the knee and shimmied forward to both bend her knees and brace her feet up against the truck beside me. She looked at me carefully.

"It's going to be a sharp tug and twist and it's going to hurt like hell. It's important you keep still, understand?"

My wolf bristled at a female bossing him around but in this moment I thought it was sexy as fuck. I didn't hide the smirk as I nodded to the doc.

Krissy took a deep breath. "Three, two, one—"

A snarl escaped my throat as a new shock of pain ripped through me. By the way Krissy tensed I guessed my eyes may have turned wolf for a second as well. And I was pretty sure I left indentations in the truck top afterwards. But the pain was gone as fast as it had come and I had to admit it felt like it was healing a lot better after.

Krissy's eyes glanced away from my grateful face, right at my rigid dick next to her arm. She blanched, quick to untangle herself from me and scoot back. She hugged her knees to her chest, hiding her body.

I looked at her, apologetic, inwardly cursing my wolf. "I'm sorry. You just seem to have that effect on me."

"You're a werewolf." Her voice was soft and to the point.

I let my face go blank. "A wolf shifter. Yes."

"Is that why someone tried to kill you?"

I scowled at Malcolm's face in my head. "They weren't trying to kill me. It wasn't an accident either." I told her, anticipating her next question. Then I had a question of my own. "How did you find me?"

She frowned. "You found me. You fell into my truck. That wasn't on purpose?"

I shook my head. "I was just trying to get away. I let myself fall from a cliff."

Her eyes widened. "I saw two people. What did they want from—"

I pulled her to me in a flash, forcing her to straddle my legs. I was ignoring her question and the alarm in her face. "Did they see you? Could you have been followed home?!"

"No! Jase!"

The fear was enough to force me back. I eased my grip but couldn't bring myself to let go. Instead I started to rub my thumbs where they rested on her arms, murmuring another apology.

"What do they want with you?" Krissy repeated. "Jase, who were they?"

"Shifters."

"Like you?"

I shook my head no. "Not wolves."

She waited for me to elaborate.

"Someone is out there, someone with a twisted plan to create their idea of the perfect race of shifters, we think. He's paying shifters to kidnap other shifters for their DNA…and other things."

Krissy looked horrified. "Why don't you go to the police?"

I laughed bitterly. "Even if they knew about us they couldn't help. And don't you even think about saying anything. Humans CANNOT know about us."

Confusion returned to her eyes as she caught the inflection in my voice. "Us?"

She knew I wasn't merely referring to shifters in the general sense of out in the world.

_Right. Here we go._

"Krissy, where is the male that marked you as his mate?"

"Come again?"

"The cougar shifter that gave you the mating bite, where did he go?"

The frown creasing Krissy's forehead slowly lifted as she put pieces of something together in her head. Her hands moved to grip the hem of her shirt and she shakily lifted it, exposing her waist.

Just above her right hip was a faint scar. Bite marks.

Her voice was faraway. "I got lost in the woods, when I was four. I was attacked by a mountain lion."

My eyes darted from the scar to her face. "_Four years old_?!"

The whole reason it was a mating bite was because a unique serum coated a shifter's teeth _while_ mating, at a reasonable post-pubescent age. There was no way Krissy should have been thought of as a fated mate at four years old!

"What happened to the lion?"

She let the shirt drop back down. "Uh, t-the park rangers, they were looking for me. Heard my cries. They…they shot him."

"In the head?"

Krissy nodded.

"And the body stayed a cougar? Didn't turn into a man?"

Krissy shook her head. "That's not something anyone would forget."

"You would if a leech wanted you to." I muttered.

"A what?"

"Vampire."

Krissy blinked. "Oh. Of course there are vampires."

"The cougar must have been moon mad. He didn't even realize he was marking a child." It was like nothing I'd ever heard of happening before, but it was the most plausible explanation.

My wolf was elated at the revelation. To him it meant Krissy was all his to claim properly.

But how could I consider taking a mate with a bounty on my head?

I had to leave her the moment I was sure she wasn't in any danger.

A new kind of pain speared through me.

_But I 'm here, next to her, for now._

_Krissy_

Jase was looking at me strangely. Actually he wasn't even really looking at me, more like through me, like he was lost in thought.

"What's moon mad?" I asked to try to rouse him.

It worked, his eyes refocused on me. "If an alpha doesn't find his mate, he'll go wild, shift into animal form and remain that way permanently." Jase reached out and tucked a hair behind my ear, as if he just needed to touch me as he broached the subject. "He'll lose his humanity. Then it's up to the pack to take care of him. They'd have to kill him."

"The pack?"

Jase was still caressing my face, stirring up newly familiar embers. "Mmhmm. Most shifters either remain solitary or stick to their own kind. Wolves run in packs."

The wheels started turning. "Tank? The other bouncers?"

Jase smiled lightly. "All wolf shifters."

A movement against my leg reminded me Jase was both naked and inexplicably turned on. Though he still had me in his grasp, he let me go when I awkwardly moved out of his lap and climbed down from the back of the truck. I could feel his eyes on me once again. He watched as I rummaged through a laundry basket on my dryer and came back to the side of the truck holding up a pair of scrub bottoms.

"I wash the technician's scrubs too. She's a little more full figured. I doubt they'll be long enough in the leg but you wont need to tie them up at the waist like I would. They'll be snug but they'll cover you."

Yeah, that smile he flung at me as he accepted the fabric was definitely wolfish.

"Thanks, Doc."

I blushed. "So should it take your femur long to mend? I mean, I know how long it would take a normal person, or rather, normal wolf to heal. Werewolves, however, are a mystery."

Jase thought about it as he carefully examined his right leg. "A couple hours, I think. Couldn't you just use that mojo of yours on it?"

I smirked at the use of the word mojo. "It doesn't work like that." Then I frowned. "I don't think."

Jase's face turned scrutinizing. "What are you hiding, Krissy?"

"What? Hiding?"

"You're something other than human."

I narrowed my gaze on him. "Am I? Like what?"

Jase's expression was almost sad somehow. "You smell like shifter."

"You mean like the cougar that bit me." I assumed.

Jase shook his head. "No, your scent isn't like any shifter I've ever come across. No one else in the pack recognizes it either."

Not knowing how to respond, I had a different question. "Is that why you're telling me about shifters, because you think I am one? Because humans aren't supposed to know about you?"

Jase merely shrugged.

I let out an exasperated sigh. "I've never turned into an animal, Jase."

"Not all shifters can shift. Not anymore." He searched for the right words. "We're not supposed to tell humans what we are, but shifters have mated with humans. Having only one shifter parent leaves the chance of a shifter kid at fifty-fifty. Truthfully there aren't that many shifters left out there."

I offered him a sympathetic face. "You think maybe that's why this loony guy is trying to make shifters?"

Jase rubbed a hand over his face. "I don't know. Maybe."

Suddenly very tired and a little uneasy, I mirrored his action, adding a deep breath. "Listen, I could really use a drink and something to eat. Think you could sit still and let your body heal here for a bit? I promise to bring you something, anything you want."

Jase smiled ruefully. "Sure. Just remember I'm a carnivore. And can I ask one more favour?"

I nodded, waited.

"Can I borrow your phone? I need to warn the pack about the shifters that did this. Let them know I'm okay."

When I hesitated he added. "I promise to keep you out of the conversation. At least for now. If I ask for latitude, Garrett won't push."

I relented and fished my cellphone out of my bag, handing it to him. I noticed he reached his hand out far enough that his fingers "accidentally" stroked along the back of my hand when he took the device, sending delicate tingles up my arm.

_Must be a shifter thing._


	6. Chapter Six

_Krissy_

I changed into sweats and a t-shirt before pouring myself a shot of Jack Daniels. My kitchen, dining room and living room were all one big open space and I could see the door to the garage from my kitchen island. It was closed but I kept glancing at it as though I might see through it, everything Jase told me spinning in my head.

_He thinks I'm a shifter. Or rather, that I smell like one._

I thought Jase smelled quite nice. Like the mountain forests outside of Denver when I was a kid. Did I smell like that to him?

I made a mental note to ask him just what exactly made me smell like a shifter and what other kinds of things he thought he could smell. Was the old saying about animals smelling fear a real thing for shifters?

And what if I was a shifter somehow? What did that mean for me, for my life? Would those other shifters hunting Jase come after me next? I pounded back the straight shot of whiskey, convincing myself Jase had to be mistaken, therefore I couldn't possibly be in trouble. I'm a normal human woman.

_But humans aren't supposed to know about werewolves. So where does that leave Jase and I and whatever that kiss meant?_

I got another tingle just thinking about that kiss. His eyes changing, that was his wolf showing. Something about me brought out the beast in him, and not just through his eyes either. I discovered in that moment I found the idea thrilling. But if I was just a human, and knowing about shifters was taboo, did that mean Jase was going to walk away when his leg healed in two hours? He'd said something about vampires, that they could make people forget things. Would he do that to me? I poured myself a second shot, gulped it down. I forced myself to focus on making something to eat. I quickly realized I had nothing to truly satisfy a carnivore's appetite. So I picked up my landline phone and dialled my favourite pizza restaurant. Hopefully an extra large Meat Lovers would hit the spot.

_Jase_

I called the pack's alpha, Garrett, to warn him about Malcolm and Mort. I explained the encounter this afternoon at the shop—although the trusty beta that he was, Tank had already offered his report—and the SUV on the cliff. I left out Krissy however, just as I'd promised I would.

"Where are you now? I don't recognize the phone number." Garrett tried to put alpha command in his voice.

But over the phone it was easier to resist. And he wasn't really my alpha. Not at the moment anyways. "Safe, for now. Out of sight." Then I outright lied. "Swiped the phone from someone's car."

"Can you get to Eclipse?" Garrett was persistent.

"No." With my leg healing it wasn't another total lie. "I think it best I stay put anyhow."

I could hear Garrett growl faintly. "I don't like it."

"Take my word for it." I told Garrett where he could find my bike. If he went quickly he could follow my scent trail, find the "accident" site and hopefully from there follow their scent trail. "You might try asking Parker if they approached him as well. Though that was probably a bullshit story to begin with."

Garrett agreed, begrudgingly. "I'll give your physical descriptions of them to Kylie as well."

I nodded though I knew he couldn't see me. Kylie McDaniel was a pack friend/panther shifter/hacker extraordinaire. If anyone could dig up more information about the two traffickers, it was most definitely Kylie.

When I assured Garrett he couldn't change my mind about staying put he hung up. My wolf snorted, feeling triumphant. Just because I didn't see myself leading, didn't mean my wolf was quite ready to be led.

I examined my healing leg again, tested it by bending my knee and flexing my thigh muscles. The cuts were nothing more than red marks, my ribs no longer sore. When flexing didn't twinge any pain, I decided to try putting some weight on it. I slid my backside over to the edge of the downed tailgate, dangling my legs over, which were long enough to touch the floor. Bracing myself I slowly rose to my feet. There was still some pain, but it was manageable. I really should have chosen to leave then.

Krissy's doorbell rang and a moment later the aroma of pizza drifted into the garage. My empty stomach growled.

_Krissy_

While I waited the standard thirty minutes for the pizza and salad I'd ordered to be delivered, I'd opened up my laptop to find something to watch online. I ended up picking a nature documentary about wolves. I just couldn't help myself. I was embarrassed enough to use my ear buds, for fear of how good a werewolf's hearing might be.

When the doorbell finally rang I left my computer open on the coffee table. I paid for the food, set it on the kitchen island to grab a plate for Jase, a fork for myself, and a couple bottles of water from the fridge.

I yelped when I turned back around. Jase was standing by the sofa, grinning from ear to ear. Not the least bit uncomfortable being bare chested and in scrubs too short at the leg and snug enough to plainly outline his manhood.

I narrowed my eyes at him, channeling the adrenaline rush into indignation. "You were just checking out my ass."

The smile never waned. "Just getting reacquainted with what you were showing me last night."

I flushed in spite of myself. "So you _were_ watching me dance."

"Just like you wanted me too."

He had me there, so I changed the subject. "I hope you like pizza."

I brought everything over to the coffee table and realized the laptop was still open on the paused wolf documentary. Lucky for me, Jase couldn't see the screen from where he was standing, so I casually closed it when I sat down on the sofa.

I gestured to the space next to me. "Maybe you should stay off your feet for a while longer. Just to be safe."

Jase gave me a mock salute and plopped down next to me. He opened the square box and perused the contents. Taking three slices at once, he stacked them like a sandwich. Half the stack disappeared in one massive bite. He nodded his approval at what remained in his hand, but quickly frowned when he looked over and saw me nibbling from the salad in my lap.

"Is that all you're having?" He asked around a mouthful.

I frowned back. "That a problem for you?"

Jase swallowed. His frown remained. "Only if you're doing it because you think you need to lose weight or some bullshit like that. You're sexy as hell just as you are."

My face softened a little at the end compliment. "I'm not trying to lose weight."

"Are you a vegetarian?"

"No, not really. I mean, I still eat eggs and dairy. I'll have chicken or fish occasionally. I just don't like red meat."

Jase glanced down at the remaining pizza. "Oh."

"Oh! Don't worry, it doesn't bother me that you eat it! Circle of life and all that." I offered him a reassuring smile.

After a short hesitation, Jase sandwiched three more slices together, but he turned away from me slightly and ate them hurriedly in silence.

I nibbled a little more of my salad before speaking up. "What's on your mind, Jase?"

He scratched the back of his head. "It's just…I've never met a shifter that wasn't a tried and true carnivore."

My heart sank a little. "Oh."

He turned his hulking frame back around to face me head on. "Tell me more about yourself. I want to know everything about you."

I laughed, feeling shy. "I don't know where to start."

"The beginning is always a good place."

There was something in Jase's eyes, an eagerness, even a yearning to know everything he could about me. When I thought about it, I felt the same for him. He'd already shared possibly his biggest secret with me, so who was I to deny him some of myself in return?

"Well, I grew up outside of Denver…in a convent."

Jase's eyebrows rose. "Like nuns and stuff?"

I smirked and nodded. "Nuns, crosses, holy communion, confession, all that is Catholic."

Jase looked away and his mouth fell open. He started to chuckle and I slapped him lightly against his naked chest. "I don't mean to laugh but I just can't picture it. Even looking around here I don't see any of it."

"I don't follow the faith anymore. Not since I was able to leave the convent at eighteen. Maybe I stopped a little bit before. Like sixteen ."

"What happened when you were sixteen?"

I chewed my bottom lip, focused on the salad I still held in my lap. "Lost my virginity."

Jase lifted my chin with a gentle finger, concern flashing in his eyes. "By your own choice I hope."

I reached up and touched his hand. It was cute that he worried over my honour. "Yes. Call it teenaged rebellion. Truthfully I only did it to prove that I could without being struck down by lightning or whatever." I rolled my eyes at the memory. From the motley gang of horny teenaged boys hoping to strike gold with a fabled naughty Catholic girl, I somehow found the boy who was quiet and rather sweet. We danced around the subject of sex for a couple of months before the day it happened. He was nervous and fumbling the whole time. Newsflash, we were both virgins until it was over. It wasn't a very romantic or moving experience. The only thing that made it memorable was just how bad it had been. I didn't have sex again until I was in university. None of the few times I'd had sex since that first time were much better. When I really assessed them all, none of those were better than the sensation of simply kissing Jase.

_Sorry, not sorry, every other guy._

"I always felt out of place going to Catholic school." I said out loud. "But there aren't many places for an orphaned girl to go."

"Orphaned." Jase echoed, not really surprised by my admission. "Did you know your parents at all?"

"No. From what the sisters told me, my mother showed up already in labour and in distress. She'd refused to go to a hospital. They did what they could but she died a few hours after I was born." I told Jase what little I knew about my mother, which was everything the nuns could remember from the few hours they were with her and what they could interpret from the contents of the single backpack she'd carried.

Her name was Annabelle Scott. She'd travelled to Denver most likely from California: indicated by bus tickets in her bag. She was an artist: there was charcoal and a sketchbook with half its pages torn out and one beautifully rendered drawing of horses in a field. She was also possibly an aspiring photographer. She had red hair and green eyes just like me and it seemed like her favourite colour was purple, if her sparse clothing was any indication.

I set down my now empty container and left the sofa to retrieve a small picture frame. I handed it to Jase as I sat back down next to him. The photo inside was a worn Polaroid of my mother, about eight months pregnant with whom I could only assume was me. The Golden Gate Bridge was in the background.

Jase smiled softly. "You look like her. Any idea who took the photo?"

I shook my head. "It's possible she took it herself. You could get those cameras with a timer."

"You weren't tempted to go into art yourself?"

I crinkled my nose. "I don't think artistry is genetic. Or if it is, it skipped me. My brain liked biology. Medicine. Maybe I'm more like my father that way."

"You put yourself through veterinary school?"

A shrug. "Didn't have much choice if I wanted to go."

"How did you end up in Tucson?"

"Took a road trip after graduation. Decided to follow the Rockies down to New Mexico. Then I dunno…musta taken a wrong turn at Albuquerque." I held an imaginary carrot to the corner of my mouth.

Jase tsked my poor impersonation.

I flicked my tongue at him and laughed. "The real truth of it is, I don't know why I ended up here. Maybe I just needed less snow."

Jase reached over and hugged me against him, satisfied with my candour.

Briefly I closed my eyes, willing whatever Jase so adorably called _mojo_ to peek at his leg. Astonishingly, it was like the break never happened.

_Wow. Shifters really do heal fast. Faster than even Jase estimated._

Feeling a surge of relief, I snuggled into him, soaking in his warmth and security. I wasn't bothered anymore that his chest was bare.

"What about you?" I murmured against him.

"Hmm?"

He looked down at me and I craned my neck to look back.

"Being a werewolf isn't the only thing worth knowing about you. Not for me."

I gave him my sweetest smile, hoping to curb any hesitation.

_Jase_

The red-headed little minx knew how to wrap me around her finger, I had to admit. She settled back, forehead nuzzled against my neck.

"I hear the beginning is always a good place to start." She teased.

I chuckled and gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Touché."

I propped my nearly healed leg up on the coffee table.

"My father was our alpha. We weren't a very large pack, only two other families. We ran an orange grove outside of San Bernardino. There's a national park right there, ideal for a wolf needing to run."

Krissy's shoulder tensed under my hand. "_Was_? _Ran_? Past tense?"

A heaviness, unrelated to Krissy's form leaning into me, weighed my chest. "When I was a pup, ten years old, there was a fire. My mother woke me in the middle of the night, the house filling with smoke. She got me out and ordered me to run through the grove and keep going. I wasn't to stop until I couldn't run anymore. She wanted me to hide wherever it was I stopped and promised to come find me when the fire was out. That night was the last time I saw anyone from my pack."

"You were the only one who made it?" Krissy croaked. "What happened to you afterwards?"

"I had shifted into the pup I still was, when I ran. Found an abandoned foxhole. I stayed hidden, waiting, for three days. When another pack came to investigate the fire they found my scent trail and followed it to me."

Krissy clung to me. "You must have been so scared."

"No more than a four year old girl would be, faced with a mountain lion." I kissed the top of her head.

"Losing your pack, your _family_?" Her voice cracked. "That loss hurts more than any bite. I can't miss what I never knew."

I nodded to the photo of Krissy's mom. "I think you do miss her, deep down."

Krissy inhaled and exhaled a quivering breath.

I went on to tell her what happened after I was found.

The neighbouring pack chose to send me out of California, all the way up to Jasper, Alberta in the Canadian Rockies. The pack there was good to me, prepared me for life as a shifter. But after I hit puberty and my alpha traits started to take shape, I started to sew my wild oats. They encouraged me to consider venturing out, to start a pack of my own. I stayed until I turned twenty-one. I made my way back south over the border. Back to California. The grove and our homes had been completely wiped out, nothing ever replacing it in the years that followed, like an unmarked graveyard.

"You hadn't been told everything about the fire as a boy." Krissy surmised.

"I needed to try to understand. To make peace with it if I could."

Krissy sat up and gazed into my face. "Did you?"

"Somebody wanted something from my father." Anger rose from my belly. "Once they had it, they covered their tracks."

Remorse for me in her eyes, Krissy eased her arms around my neck and pressed her temple to mine. My anger faded.

"The other pack sent you away to protect you." She affirmed. "Any idea what it was your father had?"

"I was just a kid." I squeezed my eyes closed against the memories. "All I cared about was playing outside."

She pulled away. "I am so sorry to have asked you to relive it all."

I captured her face in my hands, forcing her to lock eyes. "It's always there. You didn't cause any pain I wasn't already feeling."

I tried to gage Krissy's reaction. I thought she might have wanted me to kiss her.

Instead I allowed my hands to drop when she pulled them away from her face and she stood up.

"Did you want to eat anymore?" She gestured to the remains of the pizza.

I shook my head no, so she busied herself with cleaning up. "You wanna watch a movie or something? You should stay off your feet a little longer."

I did my best to hide a smirk. She wanted me to stick around. She was trying to play coy about it, but my wolf senses ratted her out. I wasn't really in any hurry to leave myself. My wolf was ready to move in for moon's sake!

So I played it nonchalant. "Sure. Whatever you want to watch is cool."

Krissy returned to the sofa and picked up her laptop before reclaiming her spot right next to me.

I resisted the temptation to pull her into my lap.

When she opened the screen, I caught her little gasp and flying fingers across the mousepad. I briefly saw the nature footage of actual wolves on the screen before Krissy hastily exited the video. I choked on the laugh that threatened to escape my throat and had to cough instead.

_She's trying to do her homework._

I didn't really pay attention to whatever movie Krissy had chosen, and neither did she; she was asleep within fifteen minutes.

Nestled against me, I had the perfect view of all her lovely angles.

She was at my mercy and my wolf stirred.

At some point before dinner she'd finally let her hair out of its restraints. With that simple action her heady seasonal scent had intensified, and now in the isolation of her home, it was hard to focus on anything else.

I had to adjust my cock in the unforgiving scrubs.

It was boiling to the point where I would have to make a choice. Either I would lock myself away from her…or I would claim her.


	7. Chapter Seven

_Krissy_

I woke up and realized I was alone on my sofa. Rubbing sleep from my eyes I picked up on the sound of running water. Jase must be in my shower. I glanced out my window to see it was still dark. The clock told me I had only been asleep for an hour or so.

Tip-toeing to the bathroom door, I heard Jase making strained sounds through the crack he'd left open. Without thinking I pushed into the bathroom.

"Jase, what's wrong? Are you still in pain?"

Jase went silent and there was a pause before he responded. "I'm feeling a sort of ache."

I marched up next to the shower curtain, the material too thick to see through. I tried to put as much doctorly concern into my voice as I could manage. "Let me help you. Show me where it hurts."

The shower curtain flung to the side and I was treated to an eyeful of Jase gripping his massive erection. "It aches right here, Doc."

All air left my lungs as I was unceremoniously yanked forward, slammed back against the shower wall and pelted by icy cold water spraying from the shower head. Jase had both my hands pinned by his much larger free hand above my head a second later.

"It's freezing!" I managed to rasp out as the water rapidly soaked through my clothing, leaving it clinging to my pale flesh.

Jase never averted his heated eyes from mine as I first heard the creak of the faucet handle and a moment later felt the water's temperature rise.

"Better, Sweetness?"

My nod was frantic. Though I felt the warmth, I was shaking and my muscles still tensed. It wasn't cold or fear but nervous excitement. Hot moisture having nothing to do with the water was starting to build between my thighs.

Jase leaned back enough to study me from head to toe and back. He again had a grip on his hard-on and now he was slowly stroking its generous length.

"From the moment you sat down at the bar I've wanted you. After tasting your sweet mouth all I can think about is tasting the rest of you."

I struggled in his iron grip, not to get away, but desiring to pull his face to my own for a kiss. I knew that's what I wanted, but at this instant I couldn't remember how to speak. Instead I had the brilliant idea to lift my leg and hook it around his hip, trying to tug his body closer.

He didn't budge but he got the hint. He kissed me hard, like he'd been starved for it, and perhaps he had. Perhaps we both had. I moaned into his mouth and he swiftly yanked his lips away, leaving me dazed.

He let go of himself and cupped my crotch. Over the damp fabric of my sweats, his fingers sprawled the length of my slit, the heel of his palm pressing against my clit.

The memory of my dream flashed across my vision. I was pretty sure I didn't have to worry about being woken up before the really good stuff this time.

_If I wake up on the sofa in a few minutes I'll be seriously pissed off!_

"Do you want that, Sweetness? Would you like me to taste you?"

I moaned again, but I could tell he wanted to hear the words.

_Fuck! Come on Krystal Ann! It's not really that difficult!_

"Ye…yes! I want you."

Jase stroked his fingers along my slit, pressed the heel harder. "Good girl."

_Yeah, good girl. Hooray for higher brain functions!_

As Jase continued to stroke, I ground down on my hips, trying to feel more of his hand. I whimpered when I wasn't getting the results I wanted.

Jase looked at me with a mixture of dark amusement and curiosity. "How long has it been, Doc? How long since anyone made you feel this?"

My face was pleading. "Never. Jase, no one has ever made me feel the way your touch feels."

I could see the fresh surge of desire pass over Jase's face before he kissed me again. When he pulled away this time he also released my hands. In record speed he yanked my soaking shirt over my head and then hooked his thumbs inside the waistbands of both my sweats and panties, dragging the clinging fabric down to the shower floor, leaving us both wet and naked.

"Then you deserve to feel it as much as you can handle tonight."

He didn't give me much time to understand what he meant. He hand was back stroking my pussy.

When I felt his finger pierce my entrance, I gasped, sprung up on my toes, resisting the intrusion. Jase was quick to reposition me against the wall the way I had been, before resuming the toe-curling assault.

"Already so wet for me." He murmured.

He curled the finger towards my inner wall, finding that magical spot and drawing an invisible circle on it. My head spun in that same circle and my knees gave out. I would have fallen if Jase hadn't already been holding up my hands.

He braced his knee between my legs and let go of my hands in favour of wrapping his arm around my waist.

"Lace your fingers together behind my head, Sweetness." He breathed into my ear. "Hand on tight."

I did as he instructed, also leaning back to allow my shoulders to touch the wall.

When he was sure I was steady he slid a second finger inside of me and started pumping them, slowly in and out.

"You're going to learn what it means to be with an alpha wolf. You don't come until I say."

I found the breath to laugh. "Oh yeah? Better say it quick." It had been so long since anyone had touched me intimately, surely nothing could stop me from climaxing now?

Jase removed his fingers and proved me wrong.

I blinked at him, frustrated. He smiled smugly back.

_Seriously?!_

I tugged my woven knuckles against the back of his neck, a whining sound escaping my lips.

"Believe me now, Doc?" His tone was all business.

I pressed my belly against his erection. "Please, Jase. I'm sorry."

Still smiling, Jase stole another kiss and reinserted his fingers, this time pumping harder and faster. I mewled against his mouth. Finding his rhythm I ground down on his fingers to match it, urging them deeper.

My shoulders left the wall, replaced by the top of my head as I arched my back. I hiked a knee to his hip again, to give his fingers a better angle. His mouth found one of my breasts and he latched onto the stiffened peak, licking and nipping. I closed my eyes against my blurring vision as another moan passed through my throat. My skin was on fire, though I think the water's actually gone cold again. My breath is panting but I muster a few words. "Jase, I need it!"

"Yes, Krissy. Let go!"

I saw starbursts on the inside of my eyelids as I screamed out my release. My muscles clamped down on Jase's fingers. His thumb found my clit, and he stroked it, sending fresh shudders of pleasure up my spine and prolonging my orgasm.

When I eventually floated back down, my arms and legs were shaking, nearly drained of their strength. Jase eased his fingers out, the sensation sending another tingle through my nervous system. Through the aftershocks I vaguely registered Jase licking his wet fingers, offering me his wolf grin.

He shut off the water, grabbed one of my over-sized towels from the rack and straightened me out so he could wrap it around me. Next he scooped me up into his arms, carrying me out of the bathroom and towards my bedroom.

"I still have so much of you left to taste." He crooned.

My eyes went wide and my pussy clenched.

_Holy fucking shit!_

_Jase_

My intention had been simple: take a cold shower, jerk off, leave the mystifying female I was hot for well enough alone. Then she had to go and follow me into the bathroom, the foolish, foolish creature. Krissy was at my mercy now, though she had yet to protest.

I carried her directly to her bed. Easily shifting her body to hold her in one arm, I grabbed her comforter with my free hand and flung it off the bed, quickly followed by the bedsheet, several decorative pillows flying in all directions in the process. I positioned her on the side of the mattress, her slender legs dangling off the edge from the knees down. Her towel fell loose and spilled out around her, allowing me another glorious view of her nudity. It may have been near total darkness in the room, but with my enhanced vision it didn't hinder me. Krissy seemed little to naught bothered either as she looked right back at me with molten fire. I leaned over her to steal another greedy kiss and she reciprocated it in kind.

My voice was strained when I broke away. "Fates, Doc, the scent of you, so turned on. Your arousal, I can smell it. Every. Single. Time."

Her pupils dilated. Her voice came out barely above a whisper and full of wonderment. "What do I smell like, Jase?"

I took it as a queue and dragged my nose from her clavicle to her ear, breathing in deep along the way. My wolf whined, desperately wanting out to play.

"Like home." Was my gravelly reply. I nipped her earlobe and she gasped. I could sense the burst of heat it sparked within her and it fanned my flame in return.

I pushed Krissy back onto the bed and fell to my knees between hers. I spread her wide and touched down with my flattened tongue, licking her slit from anus to clit. In response Krissy's thighs tightened to clamp around my ears, but I pushed her legs back open and held her hips down. I resumed licking her seam, nipping her labia and parting her slick folds as I twirled and flicked over her clit.

Krissy tried to jack up her hips, but my hands kept them rooted in place. Instead she managed to prop herself up on her elbows, watching me as she made pleasured little sounds.

"That's right Sweetness, take what you need when you're ready this time."

I sealed my lips around her clit and started sucking hard, drawing more blood into the plump nub, flicking and twirling faster. Krissy's sounds became more guttural, filled with need. My need to please her fuelling me, I went even faster.

"Oh God! Jase, I'm so close!"

I penetrated her core with my stiff tongue and for the second time tonight Krissy came unglued. Back arching she fell from her elbows only to bring her hands up to grope her own breasts. She cried out my name and several expletives as she crested the wave, then went limp, her chest rising and falling the only movement as she slowly returned to Earth.

I climbed into the bed next to her and pulled her back to stretch along my front. I smoothed her still damp hair away from her neck to lay a spread of soft kisses along the flushed skin.

My dick, ever hard for her, grazed against her buttocks and she giggled as she felt it spasm. She rolled over in my embrace, her eyes still glazed from orgasm as they levelled with mine.

"What are we going to do about that?" She purred, reaching down to grasp it at the base.

Krissy maneuvered my cock to press against her entrance and my hand shot down to grab her wrist, halting her. "Stop." I rasped.

"It's okay, " she cooed, misunderstanding my hesitation. "I'm on birth control."

I sat up sharply, pulling her with me. "Why would you need to be on birth control before now?" I snapped.

She wretched her wrist away, scowling at me. "Not that my reasoning is any of your business but it lightens my period." She curled her knees to her chest, closing herself off from me just as before, and averted her eyes. "Heavy cycles make me feel…too vulnerable. Like having an open wound or something."

_Fucking asshole!_

I stabbed my fingers through my wet hair, sending water droplets flying as I got awkwardly caught in a few knots before I could free myself.

"Sweetne—" I bit my tongue as she shot me a dirty look at the pet name. "Krissy…" I corrected, "I'm a jackass, I'm sorry. Contraception didn't cause me to hit the brakes. It should have but, I just don't want to hurt you."

"A little late for that." She muttered.

"No, I mean injure you, physically."

Krissy's face was doubtful.

"My wolf, he wants to claim you." I carefully reached over to brush my fingers over the scar on Krissy's hip. "To mark you."

She glanced down at her scar, eyes softer when they refocused on me.

"It's dangerous for non-shifters." I continued.

"You said I was a shifter."

"I said you _smelled_ like a shifter," I corrected. "But the truth is I have no idea what you are. Except that you're inexplicably important to me. I find I'd do anything to keep you from harm."

Krissy dipped her head, once again looking down at her scar and my hand as I continued to graze my thumb over the faintly pink ridges. When she lifted her head again, she didn't meet my eyes right away. Seemingly considering her next words carefully. When our eyes locked next, she took my hand from her hip and raised it to rest against her cheek, a lusty smile reappearing on her face. "Then it's not a problem. You should trust yourself enough to keep the wolf in. I do."

As her words left me taken off guard, Krissy seized her chance and surged forward, straddling my lap. Trying to play the part of alpha, she fisted my hair in her hands, trapping my face so she could claim my mouth with hers.

My hands shot up to mirror hers. I tugged her head back, breaking the kiss so I could use my mouth to lick a line down her neck and over her rosy nips.

Krissy wretched one of her hands free and returned it to my shaft, pressing the advantage to align herself over its head. With the faintest intimate contact spurning the wolf's fervour, my hips jutted upwards, lancing her.

My little vixen inhaled sharply but wriggled to find her comfort, gliding up and down, her juices spreading over my cock.

The feel of her made my erection stretch to its limits. "Fuck…" I seethed through my teeth, "Sweetness, you're so fucking tight!"

Keeping the intimate connection, I rolled her onto her back, holding myself up with my fists so not to crush her under my weight. No warm up, no foreplay the third time around, I pounded into her, loins clapping together, my balls slapping against her ass. Krissy's mouthed opened but no sound escaped her throat. Her hands darted up to brace against the headboard, preventing her skull from being cracked on the hardwood.

I could feel my teeth elongating into fangs, coating in serum.

_Don't…Mark…_

The wolf was right on the brink, he was crouched and ready to pounce.

Krissy risked losing her hold on the headboard to touch a hand to my face.

I fought to focus my eyes on hers. She had to be seeing the yellowish green of the wolf's stare, but she wasn't afraid.

My wolf froze.

Finding her voice, she beckoned, "Come with me."

For an instant, it was like the eye of the storm. She was grounding me just long enough for the fangs to recede.

With one hard thrust I reentered her, going as deep as her core had room.

"Yes!" I roar, even as her own keening cry joins in. Her pelvic floor tightened around me. She rocked her hips in rhythm with her orgasm, my thighs began to shake and my balls tightened. A howl escaped my throat as I found release, I felt the heat of my own cum as I filled her channel. Krissy cried out again as her muscles continued to milk me dry and I shuddered, eyes rolling to the back of my head.

When I returned to my senses the wolf has retreated, sated with claiming her in this fashion. At least for the time being.

Beneath me Krissy still breathed heavily, but she had a cat-with-a-canary grin. I could've sworn that her skin ethereally glowed.

I kissed her navel after I gently slid out. Cradled her to my side as I sprawled out next to her. Her warm breath fanned my neck as she raised a finger to idly trace the lines of my wolf tattoo.

"I knew you wouldn't hurt me." She soothed.

I reached down and lightly stroked my hand over her still damp and swollen pussy. I caught the wince in her facial expression. "You sure about that?" I accused, any loathing directed purely at myself.

"Okay so the aggression left me a little sore," She relented. "But I wanted it and I really liked it. Totally worth it."

I didn't think so. I'd bared my fangs. "I should have shown better control."

"Jase, where's the fun in that?" Before she'd give me a chance to chide her, Krissy pulled me down for a deep languid kiss.

"Stay with me?" She implored when she broke away. "At least until I fall asleep?"

_And there it is. No lame excuses about my leg. She just wants me here._

Relentless, this one. Possibly stubborn. Definitely foolish. Apparently, so was I.

I planted another swift kiss to her forehead.

_I will stay with you until you send me away._


	8. Chapter Eight

_Jase_

Sunlight bled into the bedroom when I awoke and heard the jeep pulling into Krissy's driveway. I already knew who it would be. The lithe and supple redhead still lay tangled in the sheets, a vision spurning my desires to claim her again. Knowing it was not to be this morning, I settled for a line of fleeting kisses trailing across her shoulder, up to her pouty lips. The good doctor moaned in a mix of pleasure and ire.

Her doorbell rang and her eyes flew open.

I sighed my chagrin, climbed out of bed as Krissy gathered the bedsheet around her body like a shield. "Who's here this early?" She hissed.

"That'll be Jared." I grabbed the towel discarded last night and wrapped it snugly around my waist.

"Jared?" Krissy's pitch had risen a few octaves. "What the hell is he doing at my front door?"

"Why don't I go ask him?" I stole a hasty kiss. "Stay put."

She frowned at the directive but didn't argue.

I strolled out to the living room and opened the door wide. Jared was thrown off guard by the sight of me in nothing but a towel. As a rule nudity didn't bother shifters, but there were just certain places you didn't expect it.

"Boss Man needs to see you." Jared got to the point after stealing a second to recover his words. He was, of course, referring to Garrett.

"How did he even—" But I knew how he'd found me. "Kylie."

The nerdy panther could trace a cellphone with her eyes closed.

Jared nodded curtly. He held up a small duffel bag. "Brought your clothes from last night. Your bike's back at Tank's."

I took the proffered bag and Jared politely looked away as I speedily dressed. "You find a trail for those assholes?!" I asked eagerly.

"We did. Garrett wants all hands on deck before we go after them."

I could knuckle under that order. I wanted my pound of flesh from those two nut-jobs.

"Just give me a minute to explain to the Doc."

"That's another thing." Jared said warily. "Garrett's going to want to know about the last two days, with her."

_Knew that was coming. Just wish I had the slightest clue of what to say._

_Krissy_

After Jase left with Jared I fell back asleep, still needing to recharge after the night's events. I didn't dream this time, because honestly, the reality had been far more…stimulating. Though when I awoke alone a few hours later, I had to admit, I was more than a little disappointed that it hadn't been a chaste kiss from a gallant Knight that had woken the fair maiden.

I wasn't very worried that Jase was going after the shifters who'd run him over. He'd assured me with the pack around he had nearly two dozen wolves backing him up. As far as I was concerned, the sooner Jase or the wolf pack could put a pair of traffickers out of business, the better. I just didn't want to think about what the wolves were likely to do in order to stop them, permanently. It wasn't in my nature to be violent. Perhaps it made my chosen vocation fated.

Pushing the nasty business out of my thoughts, I climbed out of bed. I remembered it was Sunday, so I skipped the proper clothing and slipped into a matching camisole and shorts set, adding my silky bathrobe just for the fun of it. Something for Jase to have to peel off of me after his triumphant return, I thought giddily. Plucking the robe from where it hung on the bathroom door, I found the discarded scrubs and my still soaked sweats from last night's escapades. Sordid images of our tryst raised goosebumps across my arms. I had to squeeze my legs together to try to dull the rising sensations.

What in the Holy Hell was this wolf doing to me?!

Hurriedly, I gathered up the fabric and took them out to the washing machine. Hoping futilely it would be enough to silence my libido, I padded barefoot out to my kitchen. My stomach rumbled with vigour, demanding to be acknowledged. Now that craving, I could manage.

I went about fixing myself a fruit smoothie and it dawned on me for the second time that other than some leftover pizza, I had nothing to offer Jase that would satisfy his wolfish appetite. Perhaps he'd like to go to the market together when he returned? Or we could just go out for dinner together.

_Kinda doing the dating thing a little backwards, aren't we?_

I didn't understand why things had unfolded the way they had, only that I didn't regret it. It just _felt_ right, like…destiny, or something. A familiar shiver ran through me as images from the previous night flashed through my mind again. Damn it, I needed to distract myself or I was going to soak my panties without Jase even being in the same place!

Taking my smoothie to the sofa, I found Jase had left my cellphone next to my laptop, so I checked my voicemails first. Two messages. One a courtesy call from my assistant, letting me know our furry charges at the clinic had been checked this morning. The second from Remy, who'd heard through the grapevine, aka Angelina, that I saw Jase again yesterday and wanted quote: "ALL the dirty details" about how the flirtation was going. I had to laugh. Clearly it was a little beyond flirtation by now, but she didn't know that. And I decided she could remain in suspense a little longer.

I traded my cell for my laptop to check my emails. Some spam, a couple personal bills, a forwarded purchase order confirmation for the clinic and several emails from my assistant regarding ranchers needing routine inoculations for their livestock.

I had just finished up and was refilling my smoothie when I heard the heavy vehicle engine approaching my house. A thrill went through me. Jase must be back!

It was a little odd when I heard the doorbell, he could have just come in, but I found myself skipping to my front door like a teenager.

"There's no need to be so formal—"

My words stuck in my throat.

It wasn't Jase.

Two men, one hulking, one leering, both menacing, stood in front of me.

The leering one spoke. "Well if I'd actually known my mother, I'd like to think she'd have raised me right."

_Traffickers!_

I moved to slam my door shut and run for my cellphone, screaming bloody murder as I fled. But shifters were fast, and one of them stopped the door from latching and swung it back open. By the time I got to my phone they were inside, locking themselves in with me and the smaller one was right on my heels, reaching for me. Clutching my phone to my chest, I spun out of his grasp. I pointed myself towards my bedroom, and with my free hand started grabbing anything I could throw back at them as I passed. A picture frame, pillows, a vase, even yanking out a drawer in my kitchen. When I got to my unfinished smoothie, I got lucky and the thick liquid got into the smaller creep's eye. The short hallway was a straight shot to my bedroom where I could lock my door, dial for help and hopefully climb out the window.

I felt a sharp sting between my shoulder blades as I crossed the threshold. My limbs went numb after two more stumbling steps and I felt myself collapsing to the floor, I barely got my hands out in front of me to keep from slamming my head. The last thing I saw before my vision blurred and went black was my cellphone sliding under my bed.

_Malcolm and Mort_

"Spunky little bitch, isn't she?" The hyena quipped as he wiped away the smoothie with a dish towel.

Mort, never one to mince words, didn't reply as he holstered the tranq gun in the back of his jeans.

"Faster than I figured too. And man oh man, can you smell that?! It's so fucking sweet! Like mini donuts and popcorn and cotton candy all at once!"

Mort collected the redhead, slinging her carelessly over his shoulder. "I think she smells like lemons." He finally spoke.

Malcolm looked at the grizzly quizzically.

The bear shrugged. "I like lemons."

Malcolm rolled his eyes. "What-the-fuck-ever, man. Load her up. Whatever kind of shifter she is, Big Man is gonna want a piece of her too."

Malcolm surveyed the mess and spotted some business cards scattered on the floor by the upended drawer.

It looked like the girl was a veterinarian. And her clinic wasn't all that far from here.

The hyena smiled devilishly.

It was time to go fishing.


	9. Chapter Nine

_Jase_

Garrett had several other pack members, including his second Tank, and Trey, waiting for Jared and I at the shop. I was relieved to hear that Malcolm and Mort's trail had led back south and away from Krissy's neighbourhood. The pack had followed it all the way past the reservoir, to an empty warehouse next to a water treatment facility in the industrial district. A couple more pack members were staking out the place, waiting on the rest of us.

Begrudgingly, I rode in the jeep with Jared and Garrett. The alpha had his twenty questions about Krissy, questions I didn't have all the answers for. Garrett didn't necessarily like the answers I did have either.

Shifter or not, Krissy certainly wasn't wolf, which, Garrett didn't mind pointing out, meant I shouldn't have been so quick to involve her in pack matters. I was quick to remind the alpha it wasn't intentional, I didn't foresee from that cliff, of all the places I could have landed, it would be her truck. True I had been impulsive in what followed. She'd done more than just patch me up and offer me shelter. Krissy's scent still mingled with mine. Any shifter worth their salt would know I was lying if I tried to deny having sex with her, not that I would.

My gut, or maybe it was my wolf, was telling me two things with certainty. One, Krissy could be trusted, and two, the pair of us coming together wasn't coincidental.

When I said as much to Garrett he went blessedly silent the rest of the drive.

_Note to self: play the wolf instincts card more often._

When we joined the wolves watching the warehouse, I understood why the shifters had chosen this place to hide out in. Between the water treatment, the reservoir and all the factories at work around us, getting a clear trace of their scent was next to impossible. Lucky for us, properties were how Garrett built his success and he knew which buildings were currently unoccupied.

And if we couldn't smell them, they couldn't smell us.

Garrett had the rest of the wolves surround the building and close in while he, Tank and myself went through the front door. We rushed in as one from all sides. Only there was no one inside. The SUV they had struck me with sat parked in the center of the space, emptied and abandoned. There was other evidence that the shifters had been using the warehouse for at least a couple of days, but it didn't look like they had any intention of returning anymore.

"There was another vehicle here." Trey called from the corner he was examining. "A Hummer would be my guess."

"No one went in or out while we were watching." One of the sentries assured Garrett.

The alpha nodded, taking his pack member at his word. "They must have cleared out before we found the trail."

"Even in this blind spot, even with a car swap, we should have found a trace of where they went." Jared pointed out.

We all knew this. So where the hell did they go?

When the answer came to me, I whirled back to the front entrance. "They doubled back. Retraced their own path. If they found a way to cross the reservoir they could have taken any direction. It would take us hours to track them again. Give them a chance to…"

My stomach twisted into a knot.

_I have to get back to Krissy._

I advanced on Tank, gripped his elbow. "I need to borrow your ride."

"No." Garrett answered for his beta.

I snarled at Garrett, he didn't blink. "I have to make sure she's safe. Pack or not, are you really going to let an innocent get hurt?"

Garrett stood firm. "You could be leading them right to her. Or walking into their trap."

My knuckles were white on my clenched fists. "I know Tank told you about my fuck-up back at the shop. I didn't come here on Emmett's insistence, just to wind up challenging your dominance. I don't want to take over. Never did."

Anger flared in the pack surrounding me at the suggestion. "If you need it, I'll swear the oath and submit to prove it. Right after I declare Dr. Scott as my mate."

This gave everyone around me pause.

"She's already been marked." Tank sounded.

"By a cat that's been dead for over twenty years." I asserted.

With good reason the pack was confused, all but Jared and Garrett, who'd already heard the explanation on the drive here.

"You're forgetting, you need to be sponsored for membership. Old Man Green's _suggestion_ doesn't cut it. He's not alpha here." Trey pointed out. "Got someone else in mind for that?"u

I didn't and wasn't concerned enough about it at the moment. I opened my mouth to say as much to Trey in a colourful manner—

"I'll vouch for him." Jared declared out of the blue.

As half a dozen pairs of eyes turned to him, the dark-haired wolf just shrugged.

I kept my eyes on Garrett's, willing him to grant my excusal. "Give me an hour. If you don't hear from me, consider it carte blanche to come after me and I will accept the consequences."

I lifted my chin, offering my carotid in supplication, and waited.

After an agonizing moment, Garrett nodded at Tank and the beta tossed me the keys to his Harley.

I dipped my head to Garrett in gratitude as the pack pivoted out of my path.

I had fifty-nine minutes left by the time I revved the bike's engine.


	10. Chapter Ten

_Jase_

"Krissy…?!"

The bear and hyena had already beaten me here, I knew, but I held hope they'd left without the doc.

As I took in the mess in the house, that hope dissipated.

I called out for her again in vain, my boots crunching glass as I stepped further along. She'd put up a fight, I was proud of her for it. A trill ring echoed down the hall from her bedroom. Going to investigate, I stopped in the doorway when something on the floor caught my eye. I picked up the tranquilizer dart. It was drained of its poison. I crushed it in my palm as fresh rage boiled. The ring trilled again and I found Krissy's cellphone under her bed. The call display said her clinic was calling. I tapped ANSWER on the screen and lifted it to my ear.

"Ah, there you are!" It took all of my restraint not to crush the phone at the sound of Malcolm's voice. "We were beginning to fear you didn't care about this feisty little redhead anymore. Been redialing this number forever."

I merely growled through sharpening teeth.

"Tsk, tsk, alpha. You know where we are now, so be a good doggie. Come."

The line went dead.

If I got us out of the situation alive, I now owed the good doctor a new cellphone. This one was in pieces.

_Krissy_

_I was surrounded by forest and as I recognized my four-year-old self toddling towards me, I knew I was witnessing a memory. I knew what was coming and shouted out to my younger self, even though I was helpless to prevent it._

_"No sweetie! Turn around! Not this way!"_

_I rushed forward to pick her up, intent on carrying her to safety, but I passed through her like a ghost._

_Just call me Scrooge. The Spirit of Christmas fucking Past!_

_So instead I fell in line behind the toddler, already dreading what was to come._

_After half a mile of dense woods, we came to a rock face, a dark cavern open at its base. The cougar slinked out almost immediately to greet us, a growl vibrated deep in his chest._

_But my younger self didn't stop her approach. So naïve I was then, not to be frightened. The cougar hissed and at last the toddler stopped. She reached out a hand to the lion._

_"Kitty…" Her coos were beckoning. The cougar approached, head low, and the toddlers hand brushed over his whiskers, grasping fur below his ear in her tiny fist. She giggled._

_And I started to remember bits and pieces on my own, before I saw them played out before me._

_"I wasn't afraid…why wasn't I afraid?"_

_I remembered why I had wandered away to begin with. I had heard the mountain lion's calls faintly through the trees. Had he summoned me somehow? But if he was moon mad as Jase had suggested, how had the cougar had the strength of mind to do so?_

_My focus was brought sharply back to the scene in front of me as the big cat lunged forward and sank his teeth into the little girl's side._

_The girl and I shrieked at the same time._

_Just as quickly as the cat attacked he withdrew. The girl fell back on her bottom, started to cry._

_And still…I knew I wasn't afraid then. In pain, absolutely, but it was like it needed to happen._

_As I watched further, the cougar lay down beside the toddler and started to lick at the wound he'd just inflicted, and…was my skin glowing?! I moved closer to get a better look and watched as the bleeding slowed, then stopped. I could see the inner flesh start to knit back together. I was healing like a shifter! Could it have been the cougar's licking? Or the odd glow? Or both?_

_The toddler continued to cry but it was softer now, more sniffling instead of wailing._

_Something rustled behind me and the three of us turned to look._

_The cougar yowled as I cried out "NO!"_

_The rifle blast was deafening._

A sharp stab inside my elbow roused me from the remnants of the tranquilizer. I blinked my eyes to clear my vision as I tried to identify the source of the pain.

I inhaled a sharp breath as I first saw the shifter, then registered the needle in my arm. The heavily pierced one was drawing my blood.

"What are you doing?!" I tried to jerk away but the shifter had a vice grip. I was also zip-tied at the wrists and ankles and propped upright in the wheeled chair behind the front desk of my clinic. The blinds on the door and windows were all drawn tightly closed, but I could still see slivers of light. I hadn't been unconscious long.

The smile Metalface offered me turned my stomach. "A blood sample ships faster than we'll be able to deliver you, Babydoll." He applied expert pressure with a cotton ball as he withdrew the needle. "Our bankroller is going to want a head-start in figuring you out."

"You mean your _Führer_?" I spat.

His sickening smile only grew as he bandaged my arm and let the sleeve of my robe fall back into place. "So you've heard."

"I've heard enough to know you won't be leaving town. Not by your own choice anyways."

Metalface cackled as he admired his ruby red prize. "That so? Hear that, Mort? Think we should just surrender to Ginger now?"

I followed his eyes to the monstrous form leaned casually against the filing cabinets.

_Mort is fitting. Looks like he's caused plenty of death._

Mort grunted a laugh at his partner's words. Assuming they had the tats, whatever kind of animals they turned into were hidden from me by their long sleeved shirts. They were dangerous, regardless.

His metallic partner grabbed the arms of my chair and yanked me too close for comfort. His breath was burning hot and carried a rotting stench. "If this is to be our last day on Earth, maybe you'd grant two men their dying wish?"

My gut lurched again. I kicked up my feet, aiming for his groin, but he was quick and shoved my chair at the wall with a wild chuckle.

I bit back my urge to scream. He'd probably like it.

"Malcolm." Mort barked.

_I think I preferred Metalface_.

Malcolm's head snapped to Mort furiously, his eyes flashing yellow. Unfazed, Mort gestured to the front door.

I heard the motorcycle then and my heart skipped a beat.

With a fiendish smile, Malcolm grabbed my chair again, shoving and letting me roll all the way over to Mort.

"New game, Ginger. Time to rustle us an alpha."

I wanted to bare a brave face when Jase walked through the front door a few moments later. Wanted, tried and failed. Mort looming over me didn't help my efforts.

Jase met my distressed gaze with an expression a mixture of relief and frustration, then narrowed his eyes on Mort. I heard the angry rumble in his chest from across the room.

"There's a good doggie." Malcolm sneered.

"Let her go." Jase's voice was low yet perfectly clear.

"But you just got here!" Malcolm mocked. "Now it's a party!"

"Let her go," Jase repeated. "and I'll go with you without a fight."

"What?" Malcolm asked, disbelieving, at the same time I shouted, "No!"

"I'm not actually the alpha of the Tucson pack." Jase confessed. "I'm not even part of it. As a matter of fact, they've ordered me out of town within the hour for sleeping with another shifter's mate." Jase glanced at me like he wanted to say something right to me, but refocused on Malcolm. "If you take me, they won't come after you. But she's under their protection while she waits for her mate to return. She's more trouble to you than she's worth."

Malcolm seemed to consider, like he was buying the bullshit Jase was selling.

Maybe it wasn't entirely made up.

My mind raced as I felt the sinking suspicion that my clever wolf was trying to speak to me in code.

_Within the hour…_

_The pack's protection…_

Was Jase trying to tell me that's how far away the wolves were? If I walked out of here would they find me? Jase already let me know a few times now how strong a shifter's sense of smell was. The pack probably couldn't risk getting too close to the clinic if they were planning something.

Even if Malcolm and Mort just let me walk away, they still had my blood. If they found something in it they liked what was there to stop them from coming after me later? Malcolm was looking at me in such a way that I _knew_ he was thinking exactly that. I couldn't expect the wolves to watch over me twenty-four/seven, and no way in hell was I going to avoid one kind of prison only to wind up in another. Jase didn't know about the blood and I feared what might happen if I tried to tell him here. I had to stall, to distract Mort and Malcolm somehow until I could find a way out for both Jase and I. If the wolves were in fact not so far away, maybe it wouldn't need to be much.

The improvised idea that came to my mind was a terrible, awful idea, and the only one I had by the time Malcolm looked ready to speak.

"Wait!" I screeched. "You don't want Jase either, he's useless to you."

Malcolm's eyebrow lifted at me. "Is he?"

I swallowed a lump in my throat and looked at Jase apologetically. "He's sterile."

After taking in this new information, Malcolm started to laugh hysterically.

I kept talking, trying to ignore the horror filling Jase's eyes. "That's why The Harvester wants alphas right? Strong DNA. But Jase confessed to me before we…" I cleared another lump from my throat. "That's what made him all the more appealing to me, actually. A tryst with no worries of having a pup instead of a…kitten."

Malcolm went quiet and still. I felt Mort glare down at me.

"I can prove it, if you'll indulge me." I added, trying to appear coquettish without having any bile rise from my stomach.

The silence went long enough for me to fear my idea really was the worst ever.

"How do you expect to prove it?"

I didn't know if he believed me or if he was playing a game of his own. It didn't matter as long as it was buying us time.

_Jase, I am so sorry! Shit, I hope this works!_

I held my hands and feet up to Mort. "First I need you to untie me. Then I need you to lock Jase and myself in my office."

_Jase_

To say having one's virility put in doubt was upsetting would be an understatement.

My wolf was absolutely livid.

I exerted great effort into not shifting when Krissy and I were escorted to her office, and Mort's bear claw grip on my shoulder made it all the more difficult.

Krissy's freckled face stayed impassive, though her eyes had flitted in my direction several times.

Malcolm scanned the room, possibly looking for potential escape routes. But there were no windows save for a small one in the only door, no air vents big enough for a person or wolf to pass through.

"What is it you plan on doing in here?" Malcolm inquired of Krissy.

"Collect the evidence." She answered coolly and waited.

The other shifters seemed dubious. Still, they left the room, closing the door behind them.

"Doc, what the fuck—"

Krissy snapped a finger to her lips to silence me. "Baby, I'm sorry I had to tell them." She said louder than necessary, then mouthed _can_ _they_ and pointed to her ear.

She wanted to know if the shifters could hear what we were saying. I could hear them still standing just outside the door, so I nodded yes.

"One way or another you were leaving town today, Baby." She went on. "At least this way I can be with you one last time."

She grabbed my hand and led me around behind her desk, her arm darting out to a shelf to grab something on the way. She held it in her hand out of sight of the door, but I could now see it was a pair of cylindrical beakers. Keeping one hidden at her side, she made a show of setting the other beaker on top of her desk.

I still didn't have the faintest idea what Krissy was up to, but she clearly thought the shifters would be watching as well as listening.

Krissy untied her robe to reveal she wasn't wearing much more than what she had been the first time I saw her. She let the robe slide off her shoulders, down to the floor, and swiftly followed, going to her knees.

I suddenly had a clue where her mind was.

_Fuck. Pun intended._

She set the second beaker down silently beside her under the desk and reached up for my belt buckle. I reacted impulsively, grabbing her wrists to stop her. As always I was afraid to lose control of my wolf around her. The added perversity of likely having an audience didn't improve the scenario.

"Please," Krissy's voice was wanton as well as pleading and I wasn't sure it was entirely an act. "Let me help you feel good. Before I have to go back to Cat Daddy."

I had to literally bite my tongue and avert my gaze to the ceiling to keep from laughing. The doc was trying to quell my unease. Against my better judgement I let go of her wrists, swinging my arms to my back and grabbing my own wrists instead.

Despite spending the last moment saying no in my brain, the part of my anatomy I felt surging against my zipper had already said _hell_ _yes_. My cock continued to engorge as Krissy freed it from my jeans and stroked it slowly with one hand.

I risked looking down and found she wasn't actually focused on my member. With her unoccupied hand, she had opened a large cupboard door in the desk, revealing it was hiding a refrigerator. She removed a test tube from the fridge, poured its contents into the beaker she'd left under the desk, spit—yes _spit_—on them, returned the tube to the fridge and sealed the cupboard back up.

When her eyes met mine and saw my flabbergasted face, she merely smiled slyly and winked.

She wasn't done with me.

After a minor adjustment of her shed robe to give her knees some slim amount of cushioning, her full focus was pinpointed on my dick. Still slowly stroking me, she leaned forward and parted her lips to snake her tongue over my tip, licking away the bead of pre-cum that had already leaked out. I tried to remain still for her, like she was a shy deer that could flee at the slightest movement. Unhurriedly, she took the thick head of my cock into her mouth, tongue swirling around like she was mapping it out. Inch by agonizing inch she licked her way up and back down again, going a little farther each pass. Changing pace, Krissy traded her grasp on my erection for cupping my balls, fondling them while taking my cock deep into her mouth. My sac pulsed, my hips surged forward at the sensation and the head of my cock connected with the back of Krissy's throat, making her gag. I yanked myself back, feeling like a jackass as she gasped for air. Before I can mutter a pathetic apology, she gripped the base of my dick again and squeezed gently. This time as she drew me into her mouth she started to pump in concert with her fist, speeding up the rhythm little by little. My hands made their way into her hair, I started to rock forward and back, urging her to take me deeper. I felt her teeth rake carefully across the sensitive flesh and I seethe as sparks of light started to burst over my vision.

_She's testing her limits. And mine._

The good doctor was being naughty.

Krissy tried releasing her grip again to take me fully into her mouth, moving my cock over her tongue and against one cheek pocket then the other.

My wolf was going wild. We needed to push this test further. My alpha desire to dominate my female flared.

"Suck me, Krissy."

Her eyes blazed with dark heat and the corners of her luscious lips around my cock flexed into a brief smile. She suctioned around my width, pulling down my length, gliding back up. I tightened my grip at the back of her head and she sucked harder, with more vigour. I took control, holding her head still and pumping into her hot mouth. Krissy raised her hands up to her own breasts, taking the nipples through her thin top, rolling them between her fingers. She made a moaning purr sound that vibrated her mouth and everything inside it, sending a shudder through me. The view and sensations launching me to crest, my sac tightened again and my thighs went rigid.

"I'm going to come, Sweetness." I warned, my breath laboured.

She pops off as I remove my grip on her hair, but grabs hold of my cock again, aiming me at her open mouth and stroking enthusiastically.

My eyes roll back as I come, but I can feel the fluid ribbons jutting out in my release.

As my vision cleared I see Krissy grab the beaker she'd left on top of the desk and lean down to spit my cum into it. As I shoved my dick back into my jeans, she secretly leaves the beaker with my seed under the desk and rose to her feet holding the first beaker containing her spit and—whatever that stuff was.

She smiled smugly at me, her lips still glistening with the evidence of our foray.

Cradling the side of her face, I swiped my thumb across her lips to wipe it away. I mean to kiss her—predictably, Malcolm and Mort chose that very moment to barge into the office.

The stone gargoyle that he was, Mort's face was emotionless. Malcolm ogled my female.

"That was…quite the show."

I moved protectively in front of Krissy, growling deep.

She placed a careful hand on my arm and stepped beside me, holding out the beaker. "I can show you this proof in my lab."


	11. Chapter Eleven

_Krissy_

Beyond reception, a hallway split my clinic down the middle, ending at the entrance to a small kennel area. Along the hall, my office, the washroom and two exam rooms stretched across one side. A room for taking x-rays, the operating room, a storage room and laboratory waited on the other.

The lab itself was not unlike one you might find in a classroom, merely half the size. Like most of the rooms in the clinic, it was windowless, though it had a heavy ventilation hood hanging over the far counter. Adjacent to the doorway, more counter space filled with various computer and diagnostic equipment stretched the length of the wall. Opposite of that, vertical rows of shelves and glass cabinets covered the wall. In the center of the room, two island counters sat topped with microscopes, test tubes and other small items.

Malcolm followed uncomfortably close behind as I walked in between the islands.

"You're familiar with how healthy spermatozoa appear, I assume?" I set the beaker I carried down on the counter, retrieving a pipette and petri dish as I glanced from Malcolm to Mort to Jase and back again. The two larger shifters stood a few feet back from Malcolm and I. Though their stance was visually relaxed, I could feel the threat of violence from both.

"Sure," Malcolm responded pompously. "Squiggly little white tadpoles by the millions."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes while I transferred some of the fluid from the beaker to the petri dish using the pipette. Dish in hand, I moved over to one of the microscopes and guided the dish into place under the lenses. I dipped to look down the scope and made a quick adjustment, then looked back at Malcolm.

"Have a look." I nodded to the microscope and stepped aside.

Malcolm looked at me dubiously.

I prayed I had a stellar poker face. If this ruse failed, Jase and I may be as good as dead.

An agonizing beat later, Malcolm leaned over the scope.

"All I see are a few white specks." Malcolm frowned at me.

"No tails." I stated.

"What?"

"Heads without tails." I elaborated. "Tadpoles can't swim without their tails."

Malcolm turned to Jase, a wicked grin spreading across his metal-filled face. "Poor bastard."

Jase answered with a hateful growl.

The corner of Mort's mouth twitched like he wanted to smile and failed.

Malcolm started to laugh. His laughter died off when he turned back to me and recognized the fleeting hope in my eyes.

_Fuck. It doesn't matter if he bought it. He was never letting either of us go._

I backed up against the other island as Malcolm addressed Jase again.

"As pathetic as this makes you, doggie, doesn't change our job."

Mort turned his full attention to Jase, who tensed.

_This might be our last shot._

"Big Man can still use—"

I shut Malcolm up when I hefted another heavy microscope across his temple.

Jase wasted no time, hurling a fist at Mort's nose, but my focus went back to Malcolm, as my first swing barely dazed him.

I tried for his skull again. This time he was ready and smacked the microscope painfully out of my hands with his unnatural strength. I turned to flee but Malcolm was too fast. He had me in a headlock, leaving me scratching at his arm for oxygen. Then Malcolm unveiled the gun. The scent of cordite told me it wasn't loaded with tranquilizer. I went very still. But he aimed it towards Jase, now bloody and bruised, but still trading blows with Mort.

"He's not worth the aggravation, and you just might be the find of a lifetime, Ginger."

_No_!

Adrenaline surging, I did two things at once. I kicked out both legs to leverage against the counter, knocking us sharply backwards into the other island, and I shoved Malcolm's aiming arm up towards the ceiling. The gun went off before it went flying out of his hands somewhere behind us.

Through the blood rushing past my ears I thought I heard Jase shout my name. Malcolm released me when I knocked the wind out of him and I tumbled to the floor. On my hands and knees I scrambled towards the back of the room. I heard Malcolm curse at me as I spotted the gun in the corner three feet from me. An inhuman roar of anger reverberated directly overhead. Malcolm had climbed the island counter and glared murderous intent upon me. I dove for the gun, Malcolm pounced. My fingers found purchase on the cold steel before he picked me up and hurled me across the room, into a row of cabinets. I crumpled to the floor a second time, glass shards raining down along with me.

Miraculously, in spite of the immense force and pain, I never lost my grip on the gun. From where he stood, Malcolm could not see me. In those precious seconds, heart pounding in my throat, everything moved in slow motion.

I forced myself into a sitting position, lifted the gun in front of myself, levelling it on the encroaching shifter's face. I squeezed the trigger. Once. Twice.

Malcolm collapsed inches in front of me. A river of red started to pool around his head.

I let my arms drop to my sides and sent the gun sliding across the debris-littered floor into a corner.

The shots had been deafening, but I still heard the animalistic snarls and roars of the ongoing fight raging between Jase and Mort.

Ignoring the glass shards cutting my hands and knees to get a better view of the scuffle, I was horrified to find Jase pinned against the door with Mort's meaty fist wrapped around his throat, squeezing hard enough the blood flowed faster from Jase's nose, lip and the scattered cuts on his face. Jase struggled against the fleshy snare but he was outmatched.

Regretting my impulse to discard the gun, I turned back to recover the weapon—something else caught my eye. Breeching my growing hysteria, the letters T-R-I-B-U-T-A-M-E, on an unbroken vial jump-started my cognition. Hands shaking, I fumbled around for two syringes, draining the vial's contents into them.

Back on my feet, I saw Mort's free hand morph, huge thick claws replacing the fingers. He was winding up to swing!

With a primal scream I flung myself at Mort's back, hammering my weaponized fists down against his shoulder blades, thumbs plunging fluid deep into the muscle.

Almost instantly Mort's grip switched from Jase's throat to his own. He turned on me, disbelief in his eyes, his mouth wide open and gasping like a fish out of water.

Jase recovered his breath and footing, dancing around Mort to take a protective hold on me.

Mort dropped like a stone to his knees, froth starting to form in his mouth. Air no longer reached his lungs.

Jase yanked me backwards as Mort fruitlessly reached for me, before falling face forward. His arms and legs jerked violently several times and then went completely still. His eyes, at one time merely emotionless, were now totally vacant. Lifeless.

"Oh God…" My bleeding hands came up to my face.

"Fuck Krissy, what did you give him?"

"Euthanasia." I whispered as I started to tremble.

Jase looked at me, shellshocked.

"He was so big…a shifter," I started to ramble. "I-I knew it could—but I thought maybe since he was—I mean you heal so f-fast…" Tears burned my eyes. "I didn't actually want to kill him…them."

Jase looked over at Malcolm's body as if just noticing he was there. He carefully guided me towards the door, which flew open unexpectedly.

Led by a blonde man the same build as Jase, several other more familiar men swarmed into the lab. Tank, Jared and Trey flanked the blonde I didn't recognize. I spotted a few more unfamiliar faces waiting out in the hallway.

"What the fuck happened in here, man?" Trey gaped as he surveyed the damage.

Jared knelt down to examine Mort's body while Tank moved further across the room past Malcolm's. After a moment Tank returned to stand over Malcolm with the gun holstered in the front of his jeans. During this activity around us, the blonde stood facing Jase and I, scrutinizing me the whole time. I couldn't bring myself to keep eye contact, but I knew he watched me. Jase was hugging me tightly to his body as he addressed the wolf pack, offering them the rundown of his account—conveniently breezing past our minor interlude in my office and our reason for coming into the lab. He simply said I came up with a diversion.

Reliving the past few moments in Jase's retelling proved to be the proverbial straw. I felt as though I might retch and pass out at the same time, and the blonde's glare was like a hot spotlight. The unease he made me feel, it occurred to me, the blonde had to be the pack's alpha.

I wriggled out of Jase's embrace and shoved my way through the sea of wolves, muttering that I needed to wash up.

_Jase_

Garrett stopped me when I tried to chase after Krissy. "We're not finished yet."

Since I'd already agreed to submit, I had no choice but to obey my new alpha.

"Man, what the hell was this stuff?" Trey was inspecting a spill of Krissy's mystery fluid on the counter. "It smells like wet dog." He frowned over at his best friend, Jared. "Was your mom here too?" The frown turned into a smirk but Jared was not amused.

Garrett grabbed the collar of Jared's shirt before the wolf could start a new fist fight with Trey.

_What did I just join up to?_

"Enough! Start cleaning this place up." Garrett commanded.

"We could use their Hummer." I suggested. "Get rid of the bodies before we junk it."

Garrett nodded.

"Which one of them has the keys?" Jared asked, forgetting Trey's insult for the time being. "I'll back it up to the backdoor."

I checked Mort and came up empty. Tank bent down to check Malcolm. He found the car keys…and something else.

"Garrett."

Tank tossed Jared the keys, but Jared hesitated to leave as Tank held up a vial of blood. He walked it over to Garrett, handing the vial over. "It's hers."

Garrett studied the vial, then me. He'd encountered a similar situation with his sister Sedona. A blood sample had been stolen to test for—

"Is she pregnant?"

The earnest question threw me at first. I had to give my head a shake before I could answer. "No, that's not a possibility. They must have been planning to try to ID her animal. Probably as in the dark about her identity as we are."

"Fine." Garrett allowed. "Get to work. Before any neighbours get curious."

The alpha relayed to me the pack had parked their respective transport a few blocks away to avoid detection and attention. A gang of motorcycles in front of a closed veterinary clinic was indeed suspicious. Tank asked for the return of his bike so he could move it, so I handed him his keys and he left with Jared.

The pack had systems in place for hiding our supernatural tendencies from humanity. Most shifters were the same that way. Malcolm and Mort's bodies would have to be completely destroyed. We'd clean up the mess here, take the evidence with us. Some things, like the smashed cabinets were harder to return as they were. We'd need Krissy's cooperation to deal with that. After we were done with the Hummer we'd wipe it down for prints and crush it.

As some of the other wolves went about cleaning up the lab, I asked them to salvage what they could for the doc. She could look over whatever was left more thoroughly later. I helped lug the bodies into the back of the Hummer, thankful for the second time in as many days for the proximity to the foothills. When I cleaned myself up in the washroom, I had to rein in my panic at the sight of bloody glass shards Krissy left behind in the sink, before returning to Krissy's office to wipe down my prints and dispose of that second beaker. Finding Krissy's discarded robe, I was compelled to return it to her right away.

Plainly avoiding the lab, the doc had moved to the kennels after a lengthy time locked in the washroom. It was necessary to walk past the kennels to reach the backdoor, Krissy had to be well aware of our movements. Yet, she seemed numb to it all, instead fussing over her furry charges to keep occupied.

Trey and Jared had already left in the Hummer with the bodies and garbage bags full of the worst of the debris. The other wolves slowly filed out, eventually only leaving Garrett and Tank with Krissy and myself. When Tank assured him of the "all clear", Garrett excused him. He relocked the backdoor, then addressed me.

"I'll bring the Jeep and meet you out front in a minute."

I nodded and the alpha disappeared.

Krissy was whispering something I couldn't make out, to a siamese cat. She startled when I draped her robe over her shoulders.

"Let me take you home." I murmured.

I could smell the salt of her tears before she spun to face me. It made my wolf whimper to see her upset.

"They took my blood!" She weeped. "I didn't know how to warn you. Even if they had left me and taken you, they would have come back. I just know they'd have come back!"

I gently rubbed her shoulders, making soothing sounds. "Tank found it. It's dealt with now."

Krissy held out her hands. There were only red marks where glass cuts had been an hour ago. It was the same on her knees and feet. "Something's different. I heal like you." She was becoming frantic. "What am I, Jase?"

Hugging her reassuringly against me, I led her along the hallway back to the reception desk. "Shh, we will figure this out. It is going to be okay."

Having close contact seemed to help Krissy calm herself.

Garrett pulled up outside as we reached the front door.

I insisted on sitting in the backseat with Krissy, ignoring her protests to pull her up to cradle right in my lap.

She fell asleep almost immediately.


	12. Chapter Twelve

_Jase_

I had forgotten there was another mess to sort out once I returned Krissy to her own house.

She was still fast asleep in my arms, so I carefully deposited her in her bed, landing a kiss to her temple as I pulled the covers up to her chin.

Her mother's picture was the first thing I rescued from the floor. The frame was still in good shape, the glass front the only thing that needed replacing. I set it down on the coffee table and launched a search for a broom and dustpan.

A kitchen drawer had been ripped from it's slate in the melee and damaged. After sweeping and even a little mopping, I conducted another search for tools to fix the drawer.

I wasn't satisfied that I had done all I could until the last cushion was in place.

To my pleasant astonishment, Krissy's bottle of whiskey had survived. I poured myself a double shot—to match the two free drinks I'd served the doc the night we met. Shit, was it really only two days ago?

I'd been privy to a few conversations the recently mated pack members had in regards to meeting their females. How they never felt so out of control and somehow certain at the same time. It seems like such nonsense until it happens to you. As much as my nature needed me to dominate my mate, I would equally worship her, do anything to make her happy.

Swallowing the amber liquid, I knew what she needed more than anything right now.

_Fates, please help me find the answers._

_Krissy_

_I may have been deep in slumber, but my body knew when Jase no longer held it. His touch had kept me serene. As soon as Jase tucked me away my brain started to replay the events of the afternoon as a nightmarish time loop. Every time the gun fired it was like a cannon blast echoing through my skull. I felt my own throat constrict when Mort gasped for air. A part of me knew it was just a nightmare but I did nothing to try to snap myself out of it._

_Or did I?_

_**Stop**._

_It was my own voice but it wasn't me, exactly. I looked around for the source. Jase was next to me like he had been when Mort died—except he was wearing the suit of black armour from the first time I dreamt of him._

_The nightmare around me faded away. Jase faded away._

_I was back in the woods where I'd been bitten, minus my young self and the cougar._

_**Please, just stop.**_

_I blinked and there I was. Dressed differently, like something out of a renaissance fair, but I was looking at me._

_"Wh-what am I doing?"_

_**Don't spend another second feeling remorse.**_

_I could hear her…me…whoever, still in my voice, yet her mouth never moved._

_"I killed two—"_

_**Monsters. You defended yourself. And your mate.**_

_Jase in his armour materialized beside her._

_**Malice is not in your true nature, but survival is. Trust your instincts like you already trust him.**_

_Jase's eyes glowed the yellow-green of his wolf. I felt a flutter in my belly as her skin started to glow ethereally._

_"Who are you, really?"_

_Both of them smiled at me warmly. In my voice she replied._

_**You know me. You hear me everyday.**_

I awoke, calm but still a little confused. Had I just had a conversation with my own personal Jiminy fucking Cricket? I recalled how Jase spoke of his wolf like it was a separate entity he shared one body with. If that was my shifter half I was addressed by, she wasn't doing a damned thing to tell me what kind of animal she was! And she'd apparently gone quiet for now. I felt alone in my own head, which _should_ have been a comfort. It wasn't.

I took a slow, deep breath before climbing out of bed. I stretched my arms and felt the tugging irritation of the bandage inside my elbow. Ripping away the last evidence of the day's nightmare, I tossed the bandage in the wastebasket as I walked over to my bedroom window. I peeked outside as I re-secured my robe around my torso.

The sky was painted in shades of orange and red, announcing the setting sun. My neighbourhood was quiet and my driveway was empty. Was I alone?

I stilled. Then smiled. No, I heard several weighted footfalls and knew they were his.

I stepped softly down the short hallway to discover the mess I'd made earlier had vanished. Jase had cleaned up for me. He was leaned against my island counter, lost in thought. Sensing me, he looked over to see me fighting back tears. Alarmed at first, he leapt forward to comfort me. Then I started to laugh softly and his posture relaxed, though he still pulled me into the span of his arms for an enveloping hug, applying a kiss to my forehead for good measure.

Over his swollen bicep I spotted the open bottle of whiskey on the counter.

"Making yourself at home, I see." I teased.

"Just collecting what you owe me, Doc." Jase retorted.

I pulled back to look up at him, lips pursed into a smirk."So we're even now?"

His answering smirk was all wolf. "Nope. Not even close." His expression sobered as he looked me up and down, gauging me. "You alright?"

I took my time to consider. "Yeah. I think I am."

Jase nudged me towards my sofa. We wound up sitting as we had the night before…perhaps a little closer together, if that were possible.

"The last thing I ever want is to put you in any danger." Remorse was clear in his voice and face.

"I know." I assured him. "I think fate had other plans. Today certainly made a few things clear to me. Added a few new puzzles too."

"Krissy, I give you my word, together we will find the answers."

"Together…" I echoed, locking eyes with him through my lashes. "I like how that sounds." I sat up on my knees to match his sitting height. Bracing myself with a hand on his shoulder I leaned in and kissed him, softly at first, but inviting Jase to take it deeper.

Jase squeezed his eyes shut and pulled away, looking pained. He forced out a long, slow exhale. "I'm sorry. After the fight and everything that's happened…I'm just afraid I won't be able to control myself."

"You mean your wolf? The desire it has to mark me?"

Jase's eyes were dejected. "It's not just the wolf anymore."

Inwardly I was overjoyed, but I kept my face somber, asking. "Why didn't you shift during the fight? Surely as a huge wolf you could have ripped Mort apart?"

Jase shook his head. "I was trying to avoid him shifting. I didn't want a half ton grizzly going after you."

My stomach dropped, so did my jaw. "Mort's animal was a grizzly bear? What was Malcolm's?"

"Hyena."

My eyes widened, a curt _huh_ leaving my throat. "That actually explains so much."

Jase's face lightened a little at the comment. Still a little deflated he said, "Maybe I should go out and shift now. Go for a run."

I was giddy at the thought of seeing him as a wolf at full strength. My only encounter so far had been a battered and unconscious one. Plus the three seconds there was snapping and snarling in my face.

"Or another option," I also felt like I didn't want him to leave right now, even if it was only for a short time. "You could just…mark me."

Jase bristled next to me. "Say that again?"

I soldiered on. "I know it's only been a few days, and some eventful ones to put it mildly, but I don't think I could stand it if you ever walked away from me. You've woken something up inside me, something powerful and scary and wonderful! If you're just staying out of some sense of obligation, be honest and tell me now. But if you know in your gut, in your _heart_ _and_ _soul_ that you can't be without me for another day of your life, then mark me."g

Jase seemed stricken, mind still at war with his heart. "I've told you what I'll have to—"

"Jase!"

I grabbed his hand, lifting my shirt to press his fingers against the scar over my hip. "I might know better than anyone what has to happen. I can handle it."

Jase stared down at the bite mark, caressing it with his fingers, sending shivers through my limbs, stirring my loins. He caught the reaction, I knew well enough by now through my scent, and met my eyes.

I don't know what compelled me, but I grabbed one of my sofa pillows and smacked him across the face with it before leaping from my seat and dashing towards my bedroom.

Jase caught up to me before I even reached the hallway. I squealed with giggling laughter as he tossed me over his shoulder and carried me the rest of the way. He landed two sharp slaps on my ass cheeks before sitting me on my bed. The sting silenced my laughter…and spurned my arousal.

Jase leaned over so we were nose to nose, entrapping me between his arms as he braced himself on my mattress.

"Two things you need to know about wolves, Sweetness. One, never run from a wolf unless you expect to be chased."

I bit down on my bottom lip, fighting back the grin. My voice was thready. "And two?"

"Alpha males have a primal need to be dominant over their mates. Disobedience is met with swift punishment."

My breath hitched. "I don't understand."

His wolfish grin was back in full force. "You will."

_Jase_

Easing her alarm, I kissed Krissy deeply, like she wanted me to before. For an alpha wolf, a punishment wasn't about malicious pain, it was about reaffirming dominance. In fact, it was a lot more about pleasure for both partners. I felt like a part of Krissy already understood, she just wasn't in tune with it.

I broke away so we could both catch our breath and relieved her of her robe, casting it away to land aimlessly somewhere on the floor.

"That little scheme of yours today was pretty risky, Doc." I chided the redheaded vixen. "Frankly it hurt my feelings to have my virility questioned."

Krissy started to apologize. Instead I sharply rose to my full height and yanked her to her feet with me. I spun her away from me and bent her over the bed, both her hands pinned under one of mine to the mattress.

Her breath already speeding up, she gasped when I thrummed both her butt cheeks with another hard slap. I rubbed my palm over them to dull the sting, and felt her lean into my hand. She didn't seem to find punishment off-putting so far.

"I've got to say I'm curious though," I leaned over to speak softly into her ear, taking the opportunity to nibble the lobe while I was there.

Krissy was pleasantly responsive to it. Her voice was hushed. "Curious about what?"

I smirked against her ear. "What did you pour out of that test tube, exactly?"

From this close I could feel her face flush. "Oh. That. Um…well…last week I had to tell one of my clients that their Doberman stud was a dud."

I had no words. So I laughed. "Sweetness, I don't know whether to be insulted or impressed that it worked!"

"It was a snap decision." She admitted. "I wanted to buy us time. Any amount of time."

I turned Krissy's face to meet her eyes. "I don't ever want you putting yourself in danger. Not like that. Fuck Krissy, attacking a shifter—"

"He was pointing a gun!"

"Shifters can survive bullets."

"To the head?!"

_It's happened once. Only once._

"It's possible." I replied lamely.

Krissy opened her mouth to argue again. I landed another onslaught of slaps on her ass to help her think better of it. She tried to wrestle away, haughty, but my grip was iron.

"What did I say about running, Sweetness?" I rumbled.

Changing tactics, I tugged her shorts and panties off her ass, letting them drop to her ankles, and used my knee to spread her legs wide.

"Jase, oh—!"

My free hand moved between her legs, cupping her pussy. Krissy's fingers curled to dig into the bedspread.

"I'm claiming you, Doc. Which means, I'm claiming this sweet pussy of yours. From now on, I'm the only one who gets to pleasure it. Remember, you don't come until I say."

Flicking my wrist I laid out a flurry of light slaps between her legs, making firm contact with her clit. Her responsive gasps and dampening folds relayed her surrender. She waggled her ass against the front of my jeans, eliciting a response from my own loins.

I ordered her to remain still as I stripped off my clothes, briefly allowing her to stand straight so I could peel her camisole off over her head, leaving nothing but flesh on either of us.

A shiver, heated like fever chills, shot straight down to my spine as the head of my cock made glancing contact between Krissy's legs and I was already half lost. With bruising grip on her hips, I pushed into her, both of us moaning at the sensation. She clenched around me as I slowly arced in and out, grinding backward to take me deeper. My eyes rolled back and I squeezed them shut to rein myself back in. I had to remember what I was trying to do for Krissy. I wanted any pain marking her might bare to be overwritten by as much pleasure as I could summon for her. I had to draw this out longer. I pulled out. Krissy whimpered her displeasure at the loss, waggled her ass again to tempt me. Playfully, I pressed my middle finger between her ass cheeks and circled the rosette pucker with the faintest touch of the pad. With a shocked inhale of air, Krissy squeezed her cheeks together in resistance to the unfamiliar intrusion.

I chuckled deep in my chest, pulling Krissy up with my unoccupied arm around her waist to spoon against me. "Relax Sweetness. As pleased as I am to know you're still a virgin this way, I'll resist the desire to fuck your sweet ass…tonight."

Krissy reacted with a husky laugh that sent me into a lustful fog.

In record speed I had her face-up underneath me in the middle of her bed, my mouth fastened to one breast. Her fingernails dug into my scalp as I sucked and nipped from one to the other, then began to work my way up to her blushing lips. My tongue penetrated her mouth the same moment I penetrated her entrance. I swivelled my hips as I swirled my tongue but I couldn't call it fucking. Fates help me, by this point I was already making love to the pale creature beneath me. I didn't just want to claim her body, I wanted to honour it.

I lifted my head away to watch her and found her return gaze struggling to focus against her body's growing yearning for release. The hungry eyes of my wolf had to be the ones she saw at this moment, I could feel my teeth elongate as serum coated them. Krissy was blissfully unafraid, the delicate hands still capturing my hair, lightly encouraging me, in sync with every thrust of my hips.

I abruptly replaced my cock with my mouth on her slit. Fastening my lips around her clit, sucking and flicking it aggressively. Howling a wanton cry, Krissy began to hump, shamelessly rubbing her pussy into my face.

"Yesyesyesyes, _yes_! Please, Jase! Now! I need it now!"

A growl erupting from my wolf, I slid three fingers in to stroke her G-spot as my other hand came down on her belly to hold her in place.

"Now, Sweetness."

Her hands flew out to claw at the sheets as she shattered.

My eyes found the scar on her hip before seeing red.

The wolf pounced.

And the instant I felt the flesh sliding down my throat the world stopped.

The taste of copper lingered on my tongue.

_FUCK_!

I was paralyzed for a moment, unbelieving at what I had just done. Two things happened next. I smelled the saltiness of tears and watched as a thick line of blood started to flow from Krissy's hip to the bedsheets.

My worst fear was in front of me.

I hadn't just bitten the woman I loved, I'd torn into her.

"Fuck, fuck, _FUCK_!"

Panic blooming, I licked at the gaping wound, knowing even the special healing properties in my saliva couldn't seal a bite this big.

Heart pounding in my ears, I scantly heard Krissy's faint pleas.

"JASE!"

Only when I felt her hand on my shoulder did I chance a look at her face.

Sweat from her brow mingled with tears from her eyes and my wolf whined, retreating with tail between it's legs. The flesh I'd stolen soured my gut and I wanted to flee to purge myself of it. Something in Krissy's eyes rooted me to the spot.

"Jase," She said my name again with a gentleness I didn't deserve.

"Krissy, I am so—"

"Stop. Breathe." Krissy was clearly in pain, yet her concern was directed at me.

"Sweetness, I need to get you help—"

"Move one inch from my side, Sir Knight, and I swear I'll neuter your wolf!"

I was dumbfounded.

Krissy closed her eyes briefly, her face contorting as if she was concentrating very hard. I sat up on the edge of the bed but made no other shift. She held open a hand to me and I took it.

Immediately I felt a surge of energy pass between us.

"I dreamt while they had me unconscious at the clinic," She disclosed. "It was a memory of the day I was lost in the woods." She looked down upon my violence and I ashamedly followed suit.

To my shock and awe, the bleeding had already all but stopped. As I continued to stare, the inner flesh started to slowly knit back together.

"I was never afraid that day, at least, not until the cougar was killed."

I returned my eyes to hers and saw there what she was about to tell me.

"I'm not afraid now, Jase. I love you."

Not for the first time, it seemed as though her beautiful skin was glowing.

_What on earth is this magical creature I find myself with?_

"I love you." I declared, voice choking with emotion.

"And now I'm yours, forever. My knight in black armour."

I didn't understand the last part, but yes, she was mine.

I climbed back onto the bed next to her, wrapping her carefully against my body, determined never to let her go again.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

_Krissy_

Jase's wolf was responsible for his less than kind bite, of that I had no doubt. It knew exactly what it was doing, because with that flesh gone, so was the cougar's scent. Only Jase's, left by his serum coated teeth, remained. Dejected, in spite of witnessing the wound healing exponentially, he spent the next three days acting as a nurse. Ignoring my protests, he kept me in bed, only allowing me reprieve to use the bathroom. He even showered with me, hand fed me. Once I at last had him convinced I was completely recovered from the night he marked me, he spent the rest of the week keeping me home and in bed for reasons that were more sinful than saintly. I was constantly running out of hot water those few days.

Reminding him that I needed to get back to work, where he had some repairs to make anyways, we started to make the lifestyle adjustments of being a mated pair. Jase moved in and we purchased a larger, sturdier bed. We cleaned up the garage to make space for his motorcycle next to my truck. Jase introduced himself to my assistant at the clinic when he arrived to begin repairs to the lab.

I, in return, invited pack leader Garrett to the house to formally introduce myself. We also discussed the ongoing mystery of my supernatural identity. My gifts were unlike anything the wolves had come across before and seemed to be developing further since being marked. Garrett grilled me about my life, collecting as much information as he could to pass on to someone he thought could help.

As Jase helped me navigate my abilities, he was also guiding my integration into his new pack, educating me on their rules and traditions.

The following full moon they celebrated Jase's new membership officially with a party. At Jackson King's mansion. Jackson _fucking_ King, billionaire software mogul, was a werewolf. Who knew?

His lavish home wasn't very far from my own. The property was nestled right into the Catalinas, offering very easy access to a shifter in need of some wilderness. It also helped establish the separation between Jackson's pseudo pack and Garrett's. Two alphas so close together could be problematic, apparently.

_Gee, after occupying the same enclosed space with Jase and Garrett? Never would have guessed that._

On the short drive, Jase filled me in on the crowd we were walking into.

The only pack member that would be absent was Garrett's little sister, Sedona. She'd married an alpha wolf, Carlos, and moved to Mexico to raise their newborn pup and rebuild his home village. When I asked what Jase meant by "rebuild", his face became very solemn.

"Santiago, The Harvester, whatever you want to call him. The asshole who's been ordering all the kidnappings, he's an elder wolf and was Carlos' advisor. After he took Sedona to force her and Carlos to mate, the pack learned what he's been up to. Santiago disappeared and his power over Carlos' pack was eliminated—"

"But he left a mess in his wake." I assumed. "And clearly he's still up to his tricks somewhere else." Jase didn't correct me.

_Shit. The Tucson pack attracts this asshole like a magnet._

To swing the mood of the conversation, Jase returned to musing about his circle of shifters.

Jackson's wife, Kylie, who was using her hacker savvy to find answers to my questions, was a panther, as was her sweet grandmother, Jacqueline. Jackson and Kylie had a little girl, Jaylin, but Jase told me they wouldn't know what kind of shifter she would be—meaning either wolf or panther—for at least another year. He joked the wolves were secretly taking bets on it!

The other bartender from the night I met Jase, Sam, was wolf and like a little brother to Jackson. Sam's mate, Layne, was a tiger of all things!

Jase's new pack—I kept referring to it as his, but Jase assures me repeatedly that it's my pack now too—was no less interesting when it came to their beautiful mates. Foxfire wasn't just her name, she was literally a fox. And although Angelina and Amber—Garrett's mate—were human, Jase let it slip that Amber had the psychic gift of premonition. Trippy.

After arriving and making the rounds of introduction to the packs, Jase found the open bar and made us both a Jack and Coke. Most of the wolves couldn't wait to tell Jase how impressed they were that his fated mate was able to take out two shifters. Jase was quick to suggest I could do it again if they pissed me off, which ended the ribbing shortly thereafter. We eventually divided into separate conversations and I found myself chatting softly with Angelina.

"It's so nice to have someone I'm already friends with joining our little circle!" She gushed. "Not that the other girls here haven't been wonderful, but it'll be great to have you to chat with at the studio!"

I smiled sympathetically. "It must be hard on you, not able to talk to Remy and Tayla about certain parts of your life. Meanwhile, Amber's had her best friend Foxfire and I can already see Kylie and Layne are like Cats United."

Angelina nodded. "It's a challenge. But worth it." Her gaze travelled across the room to where Jared stood laughing with Trey and Jase.

"Yeah." I agreed simply as I admired my own wolf.

As the full moon reached it's height in the night sky, the party moved more heavily out into the sprawling backyard.

Garrett let loose an ear-piercing whistle, so someone turned down the music, everyone giving the alpha their full attention.

"It's time to run, boys!" The alpha hollered.

Whoops and howls erupted from everyone around me. Guys started to step away from the patio onto the grass. Showing absolutely no modesty, they stripped off their clothes. Momentarily the entire backyard contained full moons!

I averted my eyes to find Jase—still clothed—at my side gazing down on me.

I tried to make my smile as innocent as possible, hearing the girls giggling at my expense.

Jase winked at me without a word, joining the other pack members on the grass and peeling off his clothing.

Jackson and Sam were the first to shift. They paused briefly to regard Garrett—perhaps some sign of respect—before darting out into the mountainside.

My attention was pulled as Foxfire walked over to my side, an expectant look on her face. "You joining in?"

I was confused for a moment. "What? You mean…?"

When I looked back at the sea of wolves I was startled to see a mass of yellow and icy blue eyes watching me expectantly.

They all expected me to shift.

I had already tried many times in the last few weeks. Jase had even tried using the alpha power he could project in his voice to force it out of me, but it seemed fruitless. Maybe he'd hoped the energy of the pack shifting tonight would ignite the spark.

I felt their energy…and nothing stirred inside me.

Now I regarded the wolves sheepishly. "Sorry, but I don't think so. Thanks for trying though."

Garrett, now an impressive silver beast, bayed at his pack and led the way. A wolf with black fur approached, looking directly at Foxfire.

"I think I'm going to sit this one out, Tank." She told the wolf, glancing at me.

Tank snuffed his disappointment but fled to take his place at Garrett's flank.

Jase, the sole red wolf, remained unmoving. Hearing his whine, I was compelled to his side, kneeling down to wrap my arms around his soft, thickly furred neck.

"You need to go. Maybe things will be different next full moon." I let go and nudged him gently.

Jase licked my face, then spun and bolted to catch up with the pack. A few howls soared into the night air, fading as the wolves vanished through the trees.

"You don't need to feel bad about not shifting." Foxfire piped up as I returned to the group of women on the patio. "I didn't even know I was a shifter until after I met Tank!" She shrugged. "Apparently my fox is shy."

"It took being pregnant for me to shift for the first time." Kylie chimed in. "Before that I had no idea either. My own grandmother never told me!"

"Minette, we have been through this." Jacqueline chided. "Your blood is only half shifter. When you did not shift by puberty there was no reason to think you ever would. Why would I burden you?"

Kylie hugged the elder lady tightly.

"If you want to talk crazy late-bloomer stories, I think being born human and then getting genetically modified by a mad scientist into a tiger takes first prize!" Layne declared almost nonchalantly.

My mouth fell open. "Seriously? So Santiago, this Harvester maniac, he's—"

"He wasn't the scientist, but he was the money behind one."

"Layne, I'm so sorry that happened to—"

Layne waved off my commiserating. "Becoming a shifter actually saved my life. It may not have happened how we expected it to, but in whatever strange way it was, we found where we belong."

"Cheers to that!" Amber toasted.

I smiled with a soft laugh, accepting an energetic hug from Foxfire.

"You don't have to stay because of me." I was addressing the shifter ladies.

"Nah, running under the full moon is more of a wolf thing." Layne assured me. "Kind of machismo really."

"The pull to shift _is_ stronger, but the alpha guys have it worse." Foxfire added.

"Tonight is more about initiating Jase. Your initiation is right here with us!" Amber winked at me.

Taking that as a queue, Kylie stood and brought me a fresh drink.

"I was going to wait until tomorrow, but I have some news. Or at least a lead on some news." Kylie spoke in a hushed tone, leaning close to me. "I may have found someone who can tell you what you are."

My eyes bulged in their sockets. "Who?!"

"Another shifter. He's seen a lot in his lifetime. But he's really private. Made it difficult to track him down. And he doesn't live on this continent, so it's gonna be a bitch to get him to Tucson."

I smiled so wide it hurt. "Kylie you're incredible!"

She returned my smile. "Hey, you're part of the family now. It's just what we do for each other."

We hugged and rejoined the others.

"So…" Foxfire was doing her best to seem serious. "What's our strategy for roping those boys into assignments at Krissy's pet adoption fair next weekend?"

We all exchanged glances for a moment, seeming to silently come up with the same singular, naughty idea.

We burst out laughing.

Shortly after, Jacqueline left to carry her great-granddaughter off to bed and turn in herself.

The mountainside was touched by the encroaching sunrise by the time the pack returned from their run. Although the six of us remaining ladies were a little drunk and a lot tired from the night's events, the return of our significant others bolstered our energy once more.

The still-single wolves were quick to make an exit. As the army of Harleys roared to life, the cacophonous rumble spread for miles in all directions, even as they disappeared towards the waking city. I doubted anyone sighting the parade would ever guess at what an inviting, generous group the bikers could be and I chuckled to myself at the thought.

"What's funny?" Jase inquired as his muscular arms enveloped me from behind and he breathed in the scent of my hair.

I turned in the embrace to meet his gaze. "Nothing, really. Just a silly random thought." A burst of excitement went through me when I remembered I had something else to share. "I have good news! Kylie says she's found someone who can tell me just what the heck I am!"

"Probably!" Kylie called over, reminding me how well shifters could hear. "I said probably."

"Right. Sorry. But still, it's finally something!"

I didn't see the excitement I felt reflected in Jase's expression and when I gave him a confused frown, he pulled away from me.

"I'd like to get you home." He said carefully. "It's been a long night. Jackson, Kylie, thank you for your hospitality."

"Certainly." Jackson replied simply. He seemed to be a man of few words.

Kylie offered a polite smile. The other couples did their best to diffuse the growing tension as well, saying their goodnights—more like good days now.

Walking to the truck in silence, my mind worked overtime to figure out Jase's sharp shift in mood.

When the thought crossed my mind, I wondered if it really could be so simple. Was Jase upset that it might be someone else giving me the answers I craved? Was he mad that he couldn't figure it out all on his own? How very…lone wolf of him. I muddled on how to broach the subject during the drive. Jase was stoic, hunched over the steering wheel like he didn't have the perfect vision I knew him to possess.

"It means a lot, you know," I began, testing the waters.

He spared me a sideways glance. "What does?"

"That you joined the pack. Asked for their help. From everything you've told me about alpha wolves, I can't imagine it was easy for you."

Jase shook his head slightly. "I wasn't trying to be anyone's alpha."

"I know. Doesn't change the fact that you've always been one. In a small way, you're mine. It doesn't mean you have to be the one in charge all the time. You use that strength in other ways." I reached over to place my hand on his thigh. "Asking Kylie for help was the smart choice. Maybe even brilliant!"

Jase chuckled. His let a hand drop from the steering wheel to cover mine on his thigh and squeezed it gently. "I wouldn't go that far. But I understand your point. Sorry I ruined a good night by acting like a dickhead."

"Not ruined." I assured him. "Though it would be nice if one of my growing talents turned out to be some kind of Spidey-Sense for looming mood killers."


	14. Chapter Fourteen

_Krissy_

Another three weeks past before Kylie's mystery shifter responded and agreed to make the journey to Tucson. Garrett suggested we use Eclipse for the meet.

As we walked into the club, I put into practice the heightened senses that had slowly been emerging since the day Jase and I had met. Broad daylight outside failed to touch the dimly lit space, but I had no trouble seeing the large male frames gathered at one of the tables. Garrett stood speaking softly to two men I didn't recognize. My nose picked up the faint smell of smoke along with the familiarity of wolf. Smoking wasn't allowed in the club but it wasn't really the unpleasantness of cigarettes that I was detecting. It was more like…brimstone.

As I got a closer look at the two strangers, I was unable to determine their shifter halves by their markings. Their tattoos were mostly covered by their shirts. One man, younger than the other, sported part of his tattoo peaking out around his neck. It was some kind of reptilian tail. Perhaps they were alligators or crocodiles? The younger man's blonde hair was long like Jase's and his eyes were a beautiful hue of amber.

"Jason Knight. Dr. Krystal Ann Scott. This is Edgar and his father Arturo Penn." Garrett introduced, formally.

As I reached out my hand to Arturo, who had equally long white hair, I met his eyes—shocked to find them a milky blue-grey. He was blind!

I did my best to keep the surprise out of my voice, moving to shake Edgar's hand as I spoke. "Thank you for meeting with us."

"Your panther friend can be quite persuasive." Arturo replied with amusement in his tone.

Jase chuckled as he shook both father and son's hands, showing no hint of reaction to Arturo's lack of vision. "Kylie gets things done."

The edge of Edgar's mouth twitched in a brief smirk. "Indeed."

I was clearly the odd woman out as I seated myself at the table with four hulking shifter men closing the circle around me. Whether he sensed my awkwardness or simply made the gesture out of habit, Jase, sitting next to me, reached under the table to rest a hand on my leg.

Or maybe it was a gesture of possession, as Edgar sat to the other side of me.

Garrett, sitting on Jase's other side, broached the subject at hand.

"We realize this entire situation is rather strange. I think it's clear Krissy is shifter, but one we've never encountered previously."

"And nothing we've tried has triggered a shift." I piped up. "I've developed most other common abilities…and one or two new ones."

Arturo nodded. "Yes, Garrett filled us in regarding your unprecedented senses involving your…patients."

In spite of myself, I blushed. Some of the wolves found it amusing to suggest I open my veterinary practice to the pack. I usually replied the same way, offering to neuter them free of charge, which usually ended the hazing.

"One question Garrett could not answer for us," Arturo continued, "do you happen to have a distinctive birthmark centred just above your hairline?"

My hand automatically reached up to touch the top of my head. I nodded before remembering Arturo couldn't see me. "Y-yes. How did—it's a sort of diamond shape. Or so the sisters told me. I can't really tell through my hair. I forget it's there most of the time."

Father and son nodded at the same time. Arturo turned in his son's direction and briefly reached out to touch Edgar's arm.

"Meeting you now, we understand what Garrett meant about your scent." Edgar added, emphasizing the last word by lifting his chin.

I leaned a little towards Jase at the comment. Edgar wasn't insulting me, exactly. As it turned out, my shifter side smelled…well…good. Like, really good. Maybe too good. That wasn't even the most troubling part. The problem came in where every shifter smelled something completely different! Garrett swore he could smell Amber's perfume every time I was nearby. Kylie thought I smelled like fresh baked bread! All pleasant things, but totally bizarre!

Admittedly, when Jase described what it was for him, it was fortunate we were home alone. His words were something akin to the most romantic poem I'd ever heard.

_Cheesy? Maybe a little. Still dropped my panties!_

"Do I even want to know?" I asked, snapping myself back to the present.

"How your beastly side smells to a dragon? Probably not." Edgar's smirk was wide this time.

I blinked.

Another beat passed as his admission sank in and then my jaw dropped.

_DRAGON?!_

The inked tail snaked around Edgar's neck didn't belong to an everyday reptile. I still had no clue what they were going to tell us about my animal, but now I was finding out there were _dragons_?!

I looked at Jase and Garrett incredulously. How had it not come up on the list of possibilities during our search that dragon shifters existed?

"Sadly, you are no dragon, my dear." Arturo affirmed.

I looked into the elder's eyes, though he couldn't meet mine. "Then what? Please, sir, please say you know!"

The elder dragon's face turned sympathetic.

"I apologize for all the suspense, my dear. We could only be sure of our identification through meeting you."

Jase took a bracing grip of my hand. "But you are sure?"

Arturo leaned slightly over the table, closer to me, wearing a wry smile. "You are a unicorn, Dr. Scott."

Jase nearly choked on whatever response he was fighting to withhold. He was either about to laugh, curse or some combination of the two.

Garrett went completely still, save for the furrow that spread across his forehead. You could practically hear the wheels in his head start to turn.

My body went numb, that single word echoing through my ears.

_Unicorn_.

_Unicorn_?

Jase's eyes darted between Arturo and myself for a moment before he gathered himself enough to respond to the revelation. "I realize I'm saying this to a pair of dragons, but unicorns are just a myth…aren't they?"

Edgar responded first. "More like legendary."

Three pairs of eyes stared at him blankly.

"What my son is failing to say is until today, we thought the last of the unicorns had died out many years ago. It appears as though there is at least one more."

"Doesn't that make you a lucky wolf?" Edgar directed at Jase with a salacious grin.

A growl vibrated Jase's chest, the hand that still lay on my thigh tensed. My numbness starting to dissipate, I quickly reached over to softly pat his forearm reassuringly.

Bowling through the tension, Garrett cut in. "How is it possible none of us have heard unicorn shifters existed, even in passing?"

"They're probably not the only ones you've never heard of." Edgar added.

Jase scowled. "But conveniently, you just so happen to?"

"A dragon's lifespan is slightly greater than most creatures. It helps in keeping better records of history." Arturo explained.

I found my voice. "Slightly? Just how old are you, Arturo?"

His back straightened with pride. "I just celebrated a hundred and fifty-six years this spring."

I was floored. He looked no more than half that!

"Sadly my father's eyesight hasn't faired as well as the rest of him." Edgar pointed out.

_Stating the obvious._

Arturo shrugged. "I manage well enough."

"Wait, go back to the part about other shifters!" I nearly shouted it. "What are we missing here?"

Arturo seemed to settle in his seat like he was getting ready for a lengthy story. The rest of us braced ourselves accordingly.

"Shifters have been around for eons, longer than humans. It might even be possible that humans were born of the same ancestors."

"Like the _defectives_." Garrett interjected. When I frowned at him he elaborated. "Shifters that never shift."

I bristled. I was NOT defective!

As if sensing my frustration Arturo added, "There's more than transformation that makes a shifter, my dear. As you've clearly established with your other gifts…and your fortitude."

Jase squeezed my leg once more and I smiled gratefully back.

Edgar sharply cleared his throat and Arturo continued.

"Most thriving shifters today are apex predators but as recently as fifteen hundred years ago, more shifters existed that were less predator and more…well, prey. It was in the unicorns nature to look out for the more docile clans. When the unicorns fled, it wasn't long before their charges were wiped out."

"Whoa, wait! _FLED_?! Fled where? Why?!" My head was starting to spin.

"Shifters lived in far greater numbers then and humans were a far more superstitious lot. In some parts of the old world, shifters were equal parts feared and revered, to the point that a number of shifters were in positions of power. Some shifter clans felt shifters belonged in ALL positions of power. Others, unicorns at the forefront, felt keeping their nature a secret and adapting a peaceful coexistence was best. Shifters starting feuding amongst themselves. Humans discovered the derision. Supposedly it was the unicorns doing."

"What?!" My voice came out barely above a whisper.

"There's no way to know for sure it was them. Whomever it was, I can only imagine it was in attempt to prevent in-fighting and broker peace. Instead it led to slaughter."

"That! Right there! How could a loss of that magnitude not be widely known to shifters today?" Garrett implored.

"Many of the survivors were orphans, too young to understand. I suppose most that would remember fought to forget. Those whom were able scattered to the four winds. Shifter clans kept to their own for generations after."

"Some still do to this day." Jase muttered.

I studied my wolf in that moment. His demeanour had changed. Something troubled him.

Before I could ask, Jase jerked to his feet, sending his chair screeching across the floor behind him. Without a word he stormed towards the patio door and disappeared outside.

I uttered a quick apology to the dragons and followed.

On the patio I found Jase pacing the length of the fence.

"Jase! What on Earth was that about?!"

He continued to pace without answering. I marched across the space to square off with my lover. If he didn't stop, I would be flat on my ass in the next second.

Thankfully, he froze, though at the first instant when he met my gaze, his eyes flashed his wolfy yellow-green.

Perhaps my animal had not manifested, but whatever shifter power I did have, I willed into my voice as I simply declared, "Spill."

Jase deflated a little then. He broke eye contact before speaking. "What if it's happening again?"

I didn't understand. "What if _what_ is happening again?"

"A mass extinction or whatever the fuck we're supposed to call it."

"Jase, why would you—"

"My entire family and pack was massacred! The Harvester—Santiago—whoever he is, is trying to create some race of super shifters. What if he's planning a war? And I've dragged you into the middle of it, just in time."

A little more forcefully than was necessary I grabbed the sides of Jase's face to get him to look me in the eye. "You haven't once dragged me anywhere. Carried me over your shoulder once or twice, sure."

I smirked coquettishly until he cracked a smile in return.

"I'm here, with you, because I want to be. Because I _need_ to be. Didn't know it, but I was already a shifter before I met you. You helped me discover pieces of myself that were missing. Now I'm a goddamn _unicorn_! How fucking magical is _that_?!"

That roused a laugh, releasing the remaining tension from his body. Seizing the moment, I pulled my wolf down for a kiss. It was tender and chaste.

When Jase broke the kiss, he leaned back just far enough to gaze at my face, like he was dedicating every freckle to memory. He reached up to tuck a loose piece of my hair behind my ear.

"What spell did you weave to bring us together so swiftly, Sweetness?" He mused, landing another kiss at my temple.

"Perhaps I have one more story you'd like to hear?" Came Arturo's voice.

We turned in unison to find the elder dragon had found his way outside, solo.

"Forgive me for overhearing your last remark, but I may have an answer. If you'll indulge an old man in his penchant for recounting history."

Jase and I exchanged quizzical expressions. I supposed we ought to take advantage of any insight the dragon could offer while he was in Tucson.

I shrugged at Jase and he nodded back.

"At this point, we value any input." Jase said to Arturo and I helped to guide the elder to a patio chair.

Jase pulled up two more chairs for us as Arturo settled himself and gathered his thoughts. Perhaps it was his way of creating dramatic effect, because Arturo leaned in once again as he spoke. "Are you familiar with the stories of King Arthur and his knights?"

My brow wrinkled. I had not expected a fairytale. "Only what I've seen in movies."

"My mother had a volume of children's stories she read to us when I was a boy." Jase divulged. I could see pain flash across his face at the memory and offered comfort with my hand on his forearm.

"Garrett told me your family and pack were red wolves." Arturo acknowledged. "Your mother's choice in stories may have been deliberate. You see, although many human historians debate their existence, in truth, Arthur and the knights did exist and they were shifters."

As the dragon paused to allow us to let the idea sink in, something like shock spread across Jase's face.

"Fates be damned…Arturo Penn…_Arthur_ _Pendragon_! You're suggesting you're related to King Arthur himself?!"

Arturo seemed impressed Jase put the pieces together. "He was my five times great grandfather."

"Hold on," I interjected as I found a few pieces of my own. "If Arthur was real, then all the stories suggest he would have been alive in the age of that mass shifter extinction. He and the knights fought, didn't they?"

Arturo nodded slowly. "They did."

"Well if he was already king, he must have wanted to keep his throne."

"I understand where your thoughts are headed Dr. Scott, but I promise you, he sided with the unicorns in wishing to keep the peace. He and the knights agreed with his queen."

My mouth fell open. "His…queen. You're saying Guinevere was a unicorn shifter like me?"

"Indeed. She was known as the White Queen for a reason."

"And the stories of Lancelot and their great betrayal?" Jase queried.

"Ah," Arturo chuckled at that. "Actually Guinevere and Arthur were never truly married. It was more of a gesture of strength in unity. They and all of the knights were alphas in their clans."

"There are female alphas?" I was pleasantly surprised.

"Perhaps it's rare but yes." Arturo smiled at me. "I think if you had a herd you'd have the potential to lead it."

I turned to Jase and offered him a sly grin which he quickly ignored.

"Lancelot." He prodded instead.

Anticipating the question, Arturo simply replied. "He was the last of the dire wolves."

_So a wolf and a unicorn loved each other before._

I had to take a steadying breath. "Arturo, are you suggesting Jase and I are descended from Lancelot and Guinevere?"

"Unfortunately I cannot say for sure." He professed. "But you might be interested to know when Guinevere fled, her last known whereabouts before vanishing, were the highlands of Scotland."

Noticing this tidbit didn't flip a switch in my brain, Jase enlightened me. "Your last name, Sweetness. One of your ancestors could have adapted it in the New World, based on where they migrated from."

"Or maybe from how they once lived, Mr. _Knight_?" I teased.

Jase wrapped a strong arm around my shoulders.

"From the memories Arthur passed down through the family, there's no evidence of Lancelot and Guinevere ever finding each other in the aftermath of the slaughter. Though before he disbanded the surviving knights back to their clans they all swore an oath to protect her with their own lives, should she re-emerge."

Astonished, I asked. "She meant as much to them?"

Arturo's replying smile was whimsical. "The expression 'to know her is to love her' comes to mind."

"This might explain why that cougar marked you all those years ago." Jase mused, "Maybe even moon-mad he realized what you were and did the only thing he could to protect you."

Arturo nodded thoughtfully. "Sir Safir was the last of the Sabre-toothed Cats. He survived and voyaged to the New World. Perhaps his descendants became cougars who may have kept the memories alive."

A silence fell over the three of us, Jase and I inwardly chewing on the mouthful of revelation we'd received and Arturo quietly allowing us to do so.

A clarity regarding some of my recent dreams emerged.

"Maybe this is a foolish question to pose to someone who'll probably live to see their two-hundredth birthday, but do you believe in reincarnation?"

Arturo laughed openly. "Dear girl, as someone who can transform into a mythical lizard, it would be foolish of me to dismiss it." Storytelling seemingly over, Arturo rose to his feet. "Lost loves reborn or descendants fulfilling a centuries old desire? Either or both could be true. Or perhaps your beastly halves merely found what they needed in one another. It's up to the two of you to decide where the truth resides. I can merely share my family's stories."

I had one final question for the sage dragon. "Arturo…do you think I'll ever manage to shift?"

His expression saddened. "I have hope that you will, but I honestly do not know. I fear perhaps only another unicorn may be able to help you in that matter. I pray you are not the last."


	15. Chapter Fifteen

_Jase_

Garrett was going to escort Edgar and Arturo back to the airport but before we went our separate ways he took me aside to tell me he intended to schedule a pack meeting to discuss the discoveries that would effect everyone. Namely Krissy's animal. As my mate she was under the pack's protection, but her uniqueness wrought potential future dangers to the territory. The wolves needed to be made aware.

Krissy was understandably quiet after we thanked the dragons and bode them farewell. It remained that way the entire drive home.

I had parked the truck in the garage by the time I decided to break the silence. Krissy didn't even seem to notice we were stopped. Her gaze was aimed at her own lap and unfocused.

"Sweetness." I prodded softly, giving one of her limp hands a gentle squeeze.

Inhaling a gasp, Krissy's neck made the short half twist to meet my eyes.

"I'm sorry, were you saying something?"

With a reassuring smile, I shook my head no.

Krissy looked around, realizing we'd made it home and moved to unhook her seatbelt. I stopped her with another touch to her hand. "Hey Doc, where did you just come back from? Besides Eclipse, I mean."

She held her breath as she seemed to consider her reply. I sensed unease as she met my eyes, setting my wolf on edge, finding myself wishing telepathy was one of a shifter's abilities.

I held my own breath.

"I've been holding something back." Krissy began, unable to keep eye contact with me.

My back went stiff, as though any movement might frighten her out of saying whatever was coming.

"The night you marked me, I told you about the dream I had after those creeps doped me." She shuddered at the memory but I forced myself to keep still and she continued. "The thing is, I can't really remember ever having a dream so vivid before…before meeting you."

Now she finally met my eyes once again…and she was blushing.

"It wasn't the only dream I've had. I had one that very first night we met, a few others since. But I haven't said anything because…well I guess I just thought they would make me seem weird."

I had to smirk. My body relaxed as I regarded my mate. "Weirder than dragons and unicorns?"

Krissy laughed, tension visibly leaving her as well. "Well in hindsight of course it's going to seem silly." She playfully slapped my shoulder when my expression remained chiding, sarcastically adding, "By all means, do continue to make me feel imprudent."

As tempting as it was, I decided to err on the side of caution, instead taking hold of the nape of her neck and pulling us together into a slow-burning kiss.

Krissy broke free first to catch a breath. "I could use a drink." She murmured.

I agreed. Climbing out of the truck, we made our way in and to the kitchen. The bowels of the fridge sadly left me disappointed.

"We're out of beer."

Krissy was already next to me stretching up onto the tips of her toes to reach a top shelf. I unabashedly admired her torso as her movements lifted her shirt to expose the porcelain flesh, including my own handiwork above her hip, the evidence of our bond.

"I was aiming for something stronger anyhow." She mused as she pulled down the bottle of whiskey, caught me ogling and added the faintest hint of dancer flourish to her next movements just to tease me. "Should we do straight or on the rocks?"

"If you're planning on keeping that up? Definitely on the rocks."

A sly grin firmly in place on her lips, Krissy retrieved two tumblers and held them out to me. "Get the ice for us please, Sir Knight?"

I remembered I was still standing in front of the fridge and tore my eyes away long enough to acquiesce to her request.

She seemed to study me as I poured the whiskey for us, on the verge of asking a question.

"Out with it." I prodded firmly.

_Krissy_

I shuddered inwardly a little at Jase's alpha tone.

Even since we'd left Eclipse, it felt quiet in my head, like after it felt when I woke from the doppelgänger dream. As if the shifter part of myself had stepped away to let me assimilate the new information we'd gathered today.

Steeling myself, I voiced my curiosity. "The way you talk about your wolf, do you see it? If you closed your eyes is it right there?"

Jase's eyebrows knitted together as he found a response. "Not really. It's more impulsive, feeling the emotions."

"So…you don't like, talk to it?"

He chuckled softly. "Wolves don't speak in words, Sweetness. Not even shifter wolves. Think of it more like reading body language, just below the skin. Only it's my own body that's doing all the moving." He tugged me into an embrace with his last few words. After a few soothing heartbeats, Jase held me at arms length to regard me. "Why do you ask?"

"My dreams. After everything we heard today, I'm starting to think they were my unicorn side trying to reach out to me."

Leading Jase over to make ourselves comfortable on the sofa, I dove in, recounting my dreams. Everything from Jase in the black armour to my doppelgänger dressed from another century.

"But you never once saw a literal unicorn?" Jase wondered.

I shook my head, feeling marginally defeated before remembering our day. "Seems more feasible that Arturo may be right about us, though. That maybe we're a second chance at love."

A magnetic smile spanning his tanned features, Jase lifted a gentle hand to the side of my face and I leaned into it as he warmly replied. "First, second, final…it doesn't matter to me how many chances there have been or ever will be. I'll take the odds, every time."

I couldn't hold in my giggle. "That kind of sounds like something a Lancelot would say in one of those movies."

Still smiling, Jase glided his fingers from my face, sloping over my neck, shoulders, down my arm, around to my back, sending sparks through me in their wake. "It seemed to work on Guinevere." He countered.

I turned my head for better access even as Jase was already leaning over to land a line of kisses to my neck, each pucker growing more intense, tongue marking a fine trail of goosebumps as he tasted.

His hands behind my back shifting to slide under the hem of my shirt didn't go unnoticed. His next words, however, were not what I was expecting.

"You should try shifting again."

I pulled away to offer him my baffled expression. "What? Now?"

His eyes were lit like an eager puppy. "Now that you know what you'd change into, visualization really helps. Imagine running together! Sweetness, the freedom of it is like nothing else!"

Jase was so energized… I hated to burst his bubble. "I'm not going to try to turn into a massive horse with a horn inside my house, Jase."

"No, of course not! Let's take my bike up the mountain. You'll feel right at home in the woods!"

I captured his face between my hands to focus his eyes and quell his excitement.

At least for the idea of shifting today.

"I'm not really in the mood to run. I'm sorry Jase, I just don't think it's going to happen just yet. I _had_ thought we were about to get a different kind of rush a few seconds ago…" I let the words linger between us.

Disappointment from my decline washed over Jase, only briefly. "You're not giving up on ever shifting, are you?"

"No." I assured him. "Just give me time to really process everything we learned today."

After a pregnant pause, Jase sighed deeply. "You're right. Sorry I jumped the gun."

He touched his forehead to mine and we breathed in our scents, each smelling like home to the other.

I let out an involuntary shriek when Jase suddenly scooped me up off the sofa.

"You were saying something about a rush, Sweetness?" He crooned, marching us towards the bedroom.

My laughs melted into soft moans as our mouths collided into a searing kiss.

THE END


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